Deep Reinforcement Learning for Vehicle Platooning at a Signalized Intersection in Mixed Traffic with Partial Detection

Abstract

The intersection management system can increase traffic capacity, vehicle safety, and the smoothness of all vehicle movement. Platoons of connected vehicles (CVs) use communication technologies to share information with each other and with infrastructures. In this paper, we proposed a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) model that applies to vehicle platooning at an isolated signalized intersection with partial detection. Moreover, we identified hyperparameters and tested the system with different numbers of vehicles (1, 2, and 3) in the platoon. To compare the effectiveness of the proposed model, we implemented two benchmark options, actuated traffic signal control (ATSC) and max pressure (MP). The experimental results demonstrated that the DRL model has many outstanding advantages compared to other models. Through the learning process, the average waiting time of vehicles in the DRL method was improved by 20% and 28% compared with the ATSC and MP options. The results also suggested that the DRL model is effective when the CV penetration rate is over 20%.