Intersection Management via Vehicle Connectivity: The Intersection Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control System Concept

Abstract

Since the introduction of the vehicle infrastructure integration (VII) and connected vehicle (CV) initiatives in the United States, numerous in-vehicle technologies based on wireless communications are currently being deployed. One of these technologies is cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) systems, which provide better connectivity, safety, and mobility by allowing vehicles to travel in denser platoons through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. Accordingly, the research presented in this article develops a simulation/optimization tool that optimizes the movement of CACC-equipped vehicles as a replacement for traditional intersection control. This system, which is named iCACC, assumes that the intersection controller receives vehicle requests to travel through an intersection and advises each vehicle on the optimum course of action ensuring no crashes occur while at the same time minimizing the intersection delay. Four intersection control scenarios are compared, namely: a traffic signal, an all-way stop control (AWSC), a roundabout, and the iCACC controller. The results show that the proposed iCACC system significantly reduces the average intersection delay and fuel consumption level by 90 and 45%, respectively. Additionally, the article investigates the impact of vehicle dynamics, weather conditions, and level of market penetration of equipped vehicles on the future of automated vehicle control.