Merging Maneuver Technique for an Adaptive Autonomous Platoon in Multi-Lane Highways

One fundamental maneuver in vehicle platooning is merging, where a new vehicle joins the platoon to benefit from its advantages. To ensure safe and efficient merging, this operation typically follows a systematic framework. This paper presents a novel merging algorithm designed for heterogeneous platoon systems utilizing a decentralized protocol on multi-lane highways. Compared to existing approaches, the proposed design adopts a synergistic strategy that combines vehicle heterogeneity management with a fast, low-communication decentralized protocol, while achieving key performance objectives such as maintaining safety, minimizing spacing errors in platoon formation, and reducing merging times. The control schemes are designed to effectively regulate and stabilize platoon movements both longitudinally and laterally, before, during, and after the merging process. The merging algorithm accounts for various scenarios involving the longitudinal position and speed of the merging vehicle relative to the existing platoon, as well as situations where the merging request may be either accepted or rejected. Simulation results demonstrate the algorithm’s performance across multiple runs, achieving a merging duration of under 30 seconds, a reduction in inter-vehicular distance by no more than 50% of the desired spacing in extreme cases, and a maximum acceleration threshold at a comfortable level for no longer than 2.5 seconds. The results show satisfactory performance in maintaining platoon safety and formation, highlighting its potential application for sustainable transportation systems.