A Framework for MEC-enabled Platooning

In this paper we argue that Multi-access Edge Computing can be an enabler for platooning services. We design a MEC-based application for platooning, whereby vehicles report their speed and position periodically, and the MEC runs a platoon formation algorithm to form platoons, and a platoon coordination control algorithm, to set the acceleration of each vehicle to maintain formation with the necessary safety distance. We simulate the above framework in a realistic scenario, where communications occur through a LTE-Advanced network, and we show that it is effective and inexpensive from a communication point of view.