Synchronization of Heterogeneous Vehicle Platoon Using Distributed PI Controller Designed Based on Cooperative Observer

Abstract

The challenge in designing distributed controllers for vehicle platoon synchronization arises when full-state information for control algorithm calculations cannot be obtained from the entire vehicle. Therefore, this paper presents a control scheme using a cooperative observer to estimate full-state information, enabling its use in calculating control signals. Instead of relying solely on a control signal proportional to the cooperative tracking error, the proposed control signal includes an additional integral form of the cooperative tracking error. This addition is expected to mitigate the effects of disturbances experienced by follower vehicles. Distributed control generally comprises two major components: The proportional-integral (PI) controller and the cooperative observer. The paper provides conditions for choosing control parameter values to guarantee the stability of the vehicle platoon. A numerical simulation of a vehicle platoon comprising one leader and ten followers is presented to demonstrate performance and validate the research results. Simulation results indicate that the controller performs effectively when followers experience constant disturbances, demonstrating the continuous achievement of vehicle platoon synchronization