Longitudinal Control Concepts for Automated Automobiles and Trucks Operating on a Cooperative Highway

The purpose of this paper is to present specifications for rubber tired vehicles operating on a cooperative highway. These specifications will allow control systems to be designed which could meet the requirement of a new generation of automobiles and trucks operating on roadways which can carry more vehicles/hr. These vehicles are to be electronically guided and controlled. The problem is divided into two aspects: 1. lateral control and 2. longitudinal control. Lateral control will be done by a sensor system that can “see” the road ahead and steer the vehicle toward the road and will be presented in another paper. Longitudinal control will be the subject of this paper. It involves keeping a series of dissimilar vehicles properly spaced while operating at high speeds. Safe spacing must be kept as vehicles enter and exit the vehicle stream, and as disturbances occur such as hills and winds. Sensors and a control system required to perform this task to a set of performance requirements are discussed and presented in this paper. Obviously, there are many possible solutions to these general problems. Presented in this paper are some solutions to the sensing and control issues which show technical feasibility.