A Simulation Model to Evaluate and Verify Functions of Autonomous Vehicle Based on Simulink®

The paper presents a simulation model of autonomous vehicle based on Matlab/Simulink®, which is simple and efficient. Concerning about the relationship among autonomous vehicle, road, and obstacle, it forms a `Vehicle- Sensor-Controller' closed-loop control system. The model provides a platform to design and validate the control logic of Local Path Planning, and to design post-process of the raw data from sensors. The paper also presents the simulation results of a PID steering controller for lane following, Artificial Potential Field (APF) method for collision avoidance, and the dynamic planning for overtaking when the obstacle is moving. The simulation model is verified to be effective by a lane change experiment.