Modifying Adaptive Cruise Control Systems for String Stable Stop-and -Go Wave Control

This letter addresses the important issue of energy inefficiency and air pollution resulting from stop-and-go waves on highways by introducing a novel controller called the Attenuative Kerner's Model (AKM). The objective of AKM is to enhance an existing Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system to improve vehicle following in stop-and-go waves. It is designed as a hybrid controller that is compatible with a wide range of commercial vehicles equipped with ACC. The article demonstrates the local string stability of the controller. Next, it presents a comparative analysis of AKM against two benchmarks: a human driver and a commercial ACC system, through numerical simulations and physical experiments using a 2022 Cadillac XT5. The findings reveal that AKM substantially outperforms both the human driver and the ACC in controlling low-speed, stop-and-go waves. The results indicate that AKM could act as an additional control layer for existing ACC systems, potentially improving their operational efficiency and reducing pollution emissions, thus contributing to more sustainable highway transportation.