Advanced driver assistance system for AHS over communication links with random packet dropouts

In this paper, we propose an advanced driver assist system (ADAS) for platoon based automated highway system (AHS) with packet loss in inter-vehicle communication. Using the concept of rigidity, we first show that vehicles in a platoon tend to fall apart in the event of a packet loss among vehicles. To overcome this, we propose an estimation based dynamic platooning algorithm which employs the state estimate to maintain the platoon. Communication among the vehicle is reduced by using minimum spanning tree (MST) in state estimation algorithm. Effectiveness of the proposed ADAS scheme is illustrated by simulation wherein, dynamic platoons of holonomic vehicles with integrator dynamics are considered. Simulation studies indicate that the proposed algorithm maintains the platoon up to a packet loss rate of 48%. State transmission scheme proposed in our algorithm has three significant advantages, they are: (1) it handles packet loss in inter-vehicle communication, (2) reduces the effect of error in measured output, and (3) reduces the inter-vehicle communication. These advantages significantly increase the reliability and safety of the AHS.

► Packet loss significantly affects the safety and reliability of platoon based AHS. In the presence of packet loss vehicles in a platoon tend to fall apart. It has been proved in Theorem 1. ► An estimation based ADAS for AHS platoons with packet loss in inter-vehicle communication is proposed. ► State estimation is transmitted in place of measurement transmission scheme used in AHS. ► Reduces communication by employing MST. ► Algorithm is more robust than the measurement transmission scheme used in AHS.