LATERAL VEHICLE CONTROL FOR AHS USING A LASER SENSOR

This paper presents an apporach to autonomous lateral control of a highway vehicle. The system uses a laser sensor, which detects retroreflective paint stripes and determines the lateral error of the vehicle as well as the local geometry (i.e., curvature) of the roadway. This sensor is used in a closed-loop control system to maintain the vehicle in the center of a roadway lane. The controller includes a feedforward term based on the roadway curvature as estimated from the laser sensor, as well as a feedback component to minimize any residual error. Simulation results for the sensor and control system are provided. The system does not require any substantial highway infrastructure modifications for steady state automated highway systems (AHS) operations. It is designed for use for highway maintenance vehicles, but can also be used for control of transit and passenger vehicles in general highway driving.