Vehicle Cluster Formation for Traffic Congestion Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle management systems do not effectively address congestion in built-up areas, as they primarily focus on fuel efficiency and not on optimizing the use of available traffic space.
Innovation Solution
A method for maneuvering vehicles in clusters, where cluster vehicles orient themselves with respect to a lead vehicle and maintain a predefined formation, allowing for efficient use of the traffic area by adjusting their positions within a tolerance radius, thereby reducing congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vehicles travel in clusters with predefined formations, then the use of available traffic area is optimized and congestion is reduced, but the complexity of vehicle coordination and formation maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle platoon is segmented into hierarchical levels: a lead vehicle that defines the cluster trajectory and multiple following vehicles that maintain relative positions. This segmentation allows independent control of the lead vehicle while following vehicles automatically adjust their positions, reducing overall coordination complexity while maintaining formation integrity
Solution Approach 2:
Following vehicles autonomously maintain their positions within the cluster formation by continuously adjusting their trajectories based on the lead vehicle's movement and their relative positions to other cluster vehicles. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for centralized control of each vehicle, reducing coordination complexity while optimizing traffic area utilization
2Productivity
If vehicles maintain strict cluster formations, then traffic flow density increases and congestion reduces, but the adaptability to changing traffic conditions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cluster formation is designed to be dynamic rather than rigid. Following vehicles continuously adjust their positions within tolerance ranges relative to the lead vehicle and other cluster members. This allows the formation to adapt to changing traffic conditions, road geometry, and vehicle performance variations while maintaining overall cluster integrity and high traffic flow density
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows parameter changes within defined tolerances, such as longitudinal and lateral position deviations from ideal cluster positions. These parameter variations enable the cluster to adapt to real-world conditions while maintaining the benefits of coordinated travel, balancing formation strictness with environmental adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A method maneuvers vehicles in clusters. The method forms a first main cluster, the first main cluster having at least two 1st-order sub-clusters that each have at least one cluster vehicle, and having a first cluster formation with a predefined cluster length. The method determines a first leading vehicle for the first main cluster from the cluster vehicles; and maneuvers the first main cluster. The cluster vehicles of the first main cluster orient themselves to the first leading vehicle. The first cluster formation is maintained for the first main cluster for as long as the maximum length of the first main cluster remains less than or equal to the sum of the predefined cluster length and a tolerance length.