A Vision–based Robust $\mathcal{H}$∞ Gain Scheduling Longitudinal and Lateral Following Controller for Autonomous Vehicles on Urban Curved Roads

• Published in: IEEE transactions on intelligent vehicles 2024-05
• Main Authors: Fang, Ruiqi, Wang, Zejiang, Liang, Jinhao, Yin, Guodong, Liu, Congzhi, Liu, Haoji, Li, Ang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adaptive cruise control; computer vision; curvature estimation; gain scheduling; H∞ theory; linear matrix inequality; observer-based controller
• ISSN: 2379-8858; 2379-8904

Implementing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in congested and intricate urban traffic scenarios poses significant challenges. To address the frequent stop–and–go motions exhibited by autonomous vehicles (AVs) navigating urban roads with changes in curvature, we propose a vision–based robust $\mathcal{H}$∞ adaptive cruise control system (ACC) for longitudinal control, plus a lane keeping assist system (LKAS) for lateral control. For the vision-based ACC, a weighted probability objective function for the vehicle following behavior is formulated. We incorporate $\mathcal{H}$∞ performance and gain scheduling techniques to mitigate the impact of uncertainty in visual sensor measurements. Furthermore, the optimal time headway is scheduled based on the velocity to ensure traffic flow efficiency and safety during the vehicle following process. For the LKAS, we introduce a road curvature estimation method that integrates lane and vehicle dynamics information to obtain the lateral and heading offsets. Next, the design criterion of the observer–based robust gain scheduling lateral motion controller is established by linear matrix inequality (LMI). Here, a series of experiments conducted within a camera–in–loop platform validate the proposed method.