A practical PID-based scheme for the collaborative driving of automated vehicles

For automated vehicles operated in platoons, it is important to see what information is necessary to be communicated between vehicles to ensure safety and performance in maneuvering, and how complicated the controllers are to be implemented. In this paper, we address the platoon problem by using the decentralized proportional, integral and derivative (PID) control approach for the applications of autonomous vehicles, which are modelled as an interconnected system in the form of the well known bicycle model. The control inputs for each vehicle are the traction force and steering angle. The practical collaborative driving approach consists of two main scenarios: the leader-follower platoon and the overtaking maneuver. Only the relative position and following angle between two adjacent vehicles are required for the controller design. Simulation results and dynamic visualization using virtual reality toolbox are demonstrated to show the effectiveness of the simple and practical approach.