HOCBF-Based Quadratic Programs with Application to Safety-Critical Planning and Control for Overtake Maneuver

This study introduces a control approach that leverages the High Order Control Barrier Function (HOCBF) for enhancing the safety planning and regulation of autonomous vehicles in intricate driving conditions. By adopting the small-angle assumption of the 2-DOF vehicle dynamics model, a transformation from a non-affine system to an affine one is accomplished using constrained control inputs, ensuring the model's precision. To account for both energy efficiency and ride comfort, the HOCBF incorporates collision constraints, and it integrates the Control Lyapunov Function to maintain target speed tracking. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly enhances the safety and dependability of autonomous driving systems in challenging road environments.