The impacts of information delay on automated vehicle control are evaluated and the possibility of mitigating such impacts by considering information from multiple downstream vehicles in the traffic control decision process is explored. This evaluation is carried out by using a microscopic traffic simulation model that has been specifically developed to enable the simulation of information delays that may occur with intelligent transport systems applications using onboard vehicle sensors or wireless communications. The impacts of communication delays are assessed through vehicle responses to simulated traffic events in three car-following scenarios: single-file platoon accelerating from standstill, vehicles responding to a slowdown by the platoon's lead vehicle, and vehicle responding to the sudden immobilization of the platoon's lead vehicle. These scenarios are first applied to situations in which only information about the vehicle immediately ahead is available, and then, to situations in which information is obtained form a specific number of lead vehicles. The simulation results reportedin the paper clearly demonstrate that information delay has a negative impact on vehicle control, particularly when information from only one lead vehicle is considered. The results further show that improved vehicle control and reduced sensitivity to delays can be achieved by developing controlsystems considering information from at leas two lead vehicles. For the covering abstract see ITRD E144727. Reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
Abstract