Artificial potential functions for highway driving with collision avoidance

• Published in: 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation pp. 3731 - 3736
• Main Authors: Wolf, M.T., Burdick, J.W.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.05.2008
• Subjects: Automated highways; Collision avoidance; Navigation; Road transportation; Road vehicles; Robot kinematics; Shape control; Space vehicles; Vehicle driving; Velocity control
• ISBN: 1424416469; 9781424416462
• ISSN: 1050-4729
• DOI: 10.1109/ROBOT.2008.4543783

We present a set of potential function components to assist an automated or semi-automated vehicle in navigating a multi-lane, populated highway. The resulting potential field is constructed as a superposition of disparate functions for lane- keeping, road-staying, speed preference, and vehicle avoidance and passing. The construction of the vehicle avoidance potential is of primary importance, incorporating the structure and protocol of laned highway driving. Particularly, the shape and dimensions of the potential field behind each obstacle vehicle can appropriately encourage control vehicle slowing and/or passing, depending on the cars' velocities and surrounding traffic. Hard barriers on roadway edges and soft boundaries between navigable lanes keep the vehicle on the highway, with a preference to travel in a lane center.