Technological Challenges In the Development of AHS

Abstract

The objective of an Automated Highway System (AHS) is to enhance user comfort, convenience and safety with vehicle and highway automation. In a broad sense vehicle and highway automation has been an ongoing process with many improvements in vehicles and infrastructure introduced over the years, such as vehicle cruise control and roadway traffic signal sequence control. In a narrower definition, the introduction of vehicle and highway automation will reduce the role of drivers to various degrees. The development of an AHS is likely to be controversial for many years and will have far-reaching ripple effects. The AHS is very influential since it relates closely to the daily lives of people. Although it may become only an optional type of transportation, the success of the AHS development can cause significant changes in the way people travel. In this paper, we discuss the technical aspects of vehicle and highway automation for an AHS and will try to identify the critical challenges to bring an AHS into reality. Although the concepts of an AHS are still being debated and the implementation of a national AHS is not imminent, it is timely and beneficial to examine the technological elements, to explore the current limitations and to identify the hurdles yet to overcome.