Enhancing Autonomous Vehicles: An Experimental Analysis of Path Planning and Decision-Making Processes through Simulink-Based Architecture

The development of autonomous vehicles has been a rapidly growing field, with increasing interest in the technology and its potential applications. However, there are currently no commercially available vehicles that can be classified as level 3 or higher on the Society of Automotive Engineers’ autonomy scale. One key aspect of advancing the technology is the optimization of the verification and validation process through the use of simulators. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the architecture of an autonomous vehicle, developed and tested using Simulink. The focus of the paper is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the path planning phase in autonomous vehicles, which is a crucial aspect of the vehicle’s navigation and decision-making capabilities. Through this research, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying decision-making processes of autonomous vehicles.