Automatic control system for vehicle platoon movement

This article presents the development of an automatic longitudinal motion control system for vehicle platoons based on fuzzy logic methods. The relevance of the study stems from the growing need for efficient and safe solutions for freight transportation automation. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the development and verification of a control system implementing the leader – follower principle with a specialized fuzzy controller rule base, adapted for heavy-duty truck control (exemplified by the KAMAZ-65111) and implemented in software within numerical and visual modeling environments. Unlike universal approaches, the proposed rule base formalizes expert driving strategies while accounting for the control object's high inertia. The leader – follower system was implemented and tested in two distinct environments: mathematical modeling in MATLAB/Simulink and interactive 3D simulation in the Unity game engine. Comprehensive testing covered four driving scenarios: uniform motion, acceleration-braking, emergency braking, and off-road driving. Simulation results demonstrated high accuracy (distance root mean square error not exceeding 1.21 m) and safety (minimum distance exceeding 6.3 m in critical scenarios). The strong correlation of results between both platforms confirms the adequacy and robustness of the proposed model. The developed system demonstrates potential for use in autonomous vehicles and can be improved by implementing adaptive mechanisms for adjusting the fuzzy controller parameters. It is noted that the developed control system can be further improved through the use of hybrid neuro-fuzzy rules or the creation of intelligent traffic management systems.

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