On Automated Vehicle Control Algorithms And Their Influence On Traffic Flow

(Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, $184,000, 2 years, PI Rajesh Rajamani, co-PI David Levinson)

Original Abstract

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems are currently being developed by many automotive manufacturers around the world. These ACC systems will enhance cruise control by adding the ability to automatically maintain a desired spacing with respect to a preceding car that has been detected in the lane. Explicit comparison of two ACC laws, Constant Time Headway (CTH) and Variable Time Headway (VTH), are based on these results. It was found that VTH has better performance in terms of capacity and stability of traffic. Throughput increases with the proportion of CTH vehicles when flow is below capacity conditions. But above capacity, speed variability increases and speed drops with the CTH traffic compared with non-ACC traffic, while the VTH traffic always performs better.

Final Report

Presentations and Publications

Masters Thesis