Dynamic Integration of Bilateral and Adaptive Cruise Control for Intuitive Vehicle Behavior and Congestion Mitigation

Bilateral Cruise Control (BCC) is a new concept that has been shown to reduce traffic congestion and enhance fuel/energy efficiency compared to Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). BCC considers both lead and trailing vehicles to determine the ego vehicle’s acceleration, effectively dampening any disturbance down the vehicle string and reducing possibilities for congestion. Despite the advantages demonstrated with BCC, one major limitation is its non-intuitive behavior, which stems from the fact that the BCC reacts not just to the lead vehicle but also to the trailing vehicle’s movement. This paper identifies key issues with BCC control and proposes solutions that retain the benefits of BCC while maintaining intuitive behavior. Specifically, a novel switching strategy is proposed to switch between ACC and BCC control modes by critically analyzing the driving conditions. The proposed system ensures acceptable driving behavior with predictable braking and acceleration, resulting in an intuitive and smooth traffic flow. Through seamless integration of ACC and BCC, the system can prevent traffic congestion problems while closely aligning with human driving expectations.