Development and on-board testing of an ADAS-based methodology to enhance cruise control features towards CO2 reduction

Nowadays researchers and car-makers are working on autonomous vehicles related topics towards solutions that employ detailed road network information derived from 3D maps. In this context, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are getting more and more widespread on automotive market. Information on the upcoming horizon is used to enhance vehicle drivability, comfort, energy efficiency and driver safety. This data extends vehicle's status knowledge beyond what on-board sensors can provide. An ADAS application towards energy consumption reduction, named “Eco-Tutor”, is presented. It provides a velocity reference to enhance the energy efficiency, and thus lowering fuel consumption, taking into account road gradients and speed limits of the upcoming road segments within a defined horizon length. This ADAS-based application has been designed to provide the optimal value of the target vehicle speed to be achieved by the driver. The application has been developed, tested through several simulations and implemented on rapid prototyping for in-vehicle testing. It is assessed in terms of energy savings and drivers experience.