15 Driver Behavior-Aware Cooperative Ramp Merging for Intelligent Vehicles

Abstract

Ramp merging is one of the major causes of traffic accidents and congestion along freeways due to its inherent chaotic nature. To handle this, researchers have proposed globally optimal ramp merging coordination strategies using intelligent vehicles, such as connected vehicles (CVs), autonomous vehicles (AVs), and connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). However, few of them have been able to systematically weave personalized driver behavior consideration into ramp merging strategies. In a foreseeable future, intelligent vehicles still need to understand the intentions and behaviors of surrounding vehicles during interactions. Toward this end, challenges to be addressed include: (1) predicting the behavioral interactions with other human-driven vehicles; (2) providing personalized driving guidance (e.g., Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) for better performance; and (3) boosting the user’s acceptance and trust in intelligent vehicles. In this chapter, we design a ramp merging coordination system considering both longitudinal and lateral personalized driver behaviors. This system provides a holistic solution to the traffic environment with different levels of driving automation and wireless connectivity. Cooperative ramp merging algorithms that aim to address human-vehicle harmonization and intervehicular coordination are developed. A simulation platform and a real-world testbed are built for data collection and algorithm validation.