Model Predictive Control for Autonomous Vehicle Following

In this paper, we present a model predictive control (MPC) approach for the control of an autonomous vehicle following a lead vehicle tracked by onboard sensors. Based on the lead vehicle’s movement and position, the MPC calculates a front steering angle and an acceleration in order to follow the path driven by the lead vehicle as accurately as possible, while also maintaining a safety distance between both vehicles. The performance of the MPC was evaluated during practical experiments with an actual autonomous car. The tests were conducted in both on- and off-road environments, with speeds ranging from 1 m/s to 20 m/s.