Decentralized Cooperative Merging of Platoons of Connected and Automated Vehicles at Highway On-Ramps

In this paper, we present an optimization framework for cooperative merging of platoons of connected and automated vehicles at highway on-ramps. The framework includes (1) an optimal scheduling algorithm, through which, each platoon derives the sequence and time to enter the highway safely, and (2) the formulation of an optimal control problem the solution of which allows each platoon to derive its optimal control input (acceleration/deceleration) in terms of fuel consumption. We evaluate the efficacy of the proposed optimization framework through VISSIM-MATLAB simulation environment. The proposed framework significantly reduces the crossing time and fuel consumption of platoons at the highway on-ramps compared to the baseline scenario where the vehicles on the minor road yield to the vehicles on the highway.