A platoon based model for urban traffic networks: identification, modeling and distributed control

Urban traffic control poses a challenging problem in terms of coordinating the different traffic lights that can be used in order to influence the traffic flow. The goal of this approach is to identify and to develop hybrid system models of controlled and uncontrolled intersections and links in urban traffic networks based on formation of platoons. The other purpose is to develop a feedback control algorithm that optimizes the signal timing plan based on the strategy of platoons formation estimated via the vehicle re-identification technology

Automatically synthesizing a planning and control subsystem for the DARPA urban challenge

To incorporate robots into society, they must be able to perform complex tasks while interacting with the world around them in a safe and dependable manner. The recent DARPA 2007 Urban Challenge made a step towards that goal by testing how well robotic vehicles can interact in an urban environment while dealing with static and dynamic obstacles and other cars. This paper uses the Urban challenge to demonstrates a general approach for automatically synthesizing correct hybrid controllers from high level descriptions. Here we create a planning and control subsystem for the vehicle that, if the information gathered by the sensor is correct, satisfies the requirements of the challenge for different dynamic environments. This approach automatically produces a system that is guaranteed to behave according to the traffic laws while interacting with other vehicles. Furthermore, it allows systems to be changed rapidly and easily thus reducing design time and eliminating human error

Synthesis of provably correct controllers for autonomous vehicles in urban environments

This paper considers automatic synthesis of provably correct controllers for autonomous vehicles operating in an urban environment populated with static obstacles and live traffic. We express traffic rules such as collision avoidance, vehicle separation, speed limit, lane following, passing, merging and intersection precedence requirements in a formal specification language. Embedded control software synthesis is then applied to generate a controller that ensures that the vehicle obeys this set of traffic rules in any road and traffic conditions that satisfy certain assumptions