Hideki Kusunoki

VEHICLE LATERAL CONTROL SYSTEM USING LASER RADAR

This paper introduces our recent research on vehicle lateral control, a component of an automated highway system (AHS). We have developed a laser radar based automatic steering control system to study the performance and feasibility of such a system in an actual highway environment. Our approach does not require significant infrastructure investment because it is based on the retroreflective road markers currently installed on many roads. The system consists of a laser radar sensor, steering actuator, steering controller, and data processing system. The newly developed laser radar system measures not only the range to a target, but also the azimuth angle of the target in the sensor field of view. The azimuth angle measurement, which is essential for the lateral control system, has been implemented without any moving parts in the sensor system. A line scan CCD is used as the azimuth detector while an APD is used for the range measurement. The vehicle control algorithm was studied using computer simulation and a full-scale test vehicle was developed. Some previous related projects are reviewed and our unique sensor concept is described. The total system performance was demonstrated and evaluated on a California highway. Several issues remaining for further improvement of the system are also discussed.

VEHICLE LATERAL CONTROL DEVELOPMENT USING LASER RADAR TO DETECT REFLECTIVE LANE MARKERS

SUMMARY Traffic accidents and congestion are problems which are becoming increasingly severe for automotive traffic and transportation systems. The prevention of severe accidents caused by a drivers inadvertent departure from the traffic lane presents a challenging problem due to the ever growing demands on the current vehicle and highway infrastructure. Inadvertent lane departure can be prevented by automatic lateral control of the vehicle, a component of an Automated Highway System (AHS), As a method of addressing this problem, we are developing a lateral control system which features the use of currently existing infrastructure elements such as reflective lane markers to provide a reference of the roadway ahead. A dynamic vehicle model including the tire characteristics and the steering actuator dynamics was developed to verify the performance of the lateral control algorithm. An important milestone was reached when the system was installed in an automobile and tested in an actual highway environment ...