Fuzzy control for platoons of smart cars

An additive fuzzy system can control the throttle of cars in single lane platoons. The system used fuzzy controllers for velocity control and gap control. Fuzzy controllers create, maintain, and divide platoons on the highway. Each car's controller uses data from its car and the car in front of it. Cars drop back during platoon maneuvers to avoid the "slinky effect" of tightly coupled platoons. Some car and engine types need their own fuzzy rules and sets. A hybrid neural fuzzy system can learn the fuzzy rules and sets from input-output data. The authors compute new fuzzy rules and sets for a truck velocity controller. The learned system controls the velocity of the truck with no overshoot or slow response. The authors tested the fuzzy gap controller first with a car model and then with a real car on highway I-15 in California. Each car's controller used data only from sensors on the car. The authors used this controller to drive the "smart" car on the highway in a two-car platoon.<<ETX>>