Inter-vehicle communications for merging control

Abstract

This paper proposes a data transmission algorithm over inter-vehicle communications and a merging control algorithm, and describes the simulation studies and experiments using autonomous mobile robots with wireless LAN for the evaluation of the feasibility of the data transmission and merging control algorithms. The merging control algorithm uses a virtual vehicle which is generated by mapping a vehicle on a main lane or a ramp in order to achieve longitudinal control between a vehicle at a ramp and one on a main lane. The results of the simulations show the efficiency of the data transmission and the feasibility of the merging control using this algorithm. This algorithm was implemented in autonomous mobile robots with a control system and an on-board communications system using wireless LAN for the evaluation.