With the development and maturity of new generation digital technologies such as
artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and 5G mobile communication, their
integration with physical products is becoming increasingly seamless.
Automobiles serve as a prime example in this regard. In recent years, automated
vehicle (AV) technologies have emerged as a prominent focal point, witnessing an
escalating acceptance in the market and a growing number of self-driving
vehicles on the roads, existing roads are primarily designed for traditional
human-driven vehicles (HVs). Due to the differences in perception between
automated systems and human drivers, it is essential to assess AVs' feasibility
to current road infrastructure. This paper analyzes the safety and comfort of
automated vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control systems (ACC-AVs) on
longitudinal road profiles from the perspective of vehicle dynamics. Firstly, a
co-simulation platform integrating PreScan, CarSim, and Simulink software is
established, providing a comprehensive environment for simulating AV behavior.
Secondly, an evaluation system is developed to assess AV’s feasibility on
longitudinal roads, based on safety indicators (rear-end collisions occurrence)
and comfort indicators (axial acceleration, vertical acceleration, and vertical
acceleration change rate). Lastly, the feasibility of ACC-AVs on existing
longitudinal profile roads is simulated and evaluated. The results indicate
that, on straight slope section, ACC-AVs may experience rear-end collisions on
downhill sections with design speeds below 100 km/h; when safety requirements
are met, both uphill and downhill sections exhibit good comfort levels. For the
vertical curve section, comfort is also favorable in segments with low design
speeds and large vertical curve radii, however, as curve radii decrease or
design speeds increase, comfort deteriorates. The findings of this study provide
a reference for optimizing highway profile design for AVs.