An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control
This study proposes an adaptive car-following model based on the unscented Kalman filter algorithm to enable coordinated speed control in vehicle platoons and to address key limitations present in conventional car-following models. Traditional models generally assume a fixed maximum speed within the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Machines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/7/569 |
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| _version_ | 1849246518871064576 |
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| author | Caixia Huang Wu Tang Jiande Wang Zhiyong Zhang |
| author_facet | Caixia Huang Wu Tang Jiande Wang Zhiyong Zhang |
| author_sort | Caixia Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study proposes an adaptive car-following model based on the unscented Kalman filter algorithm to enable coordinated speed control in vehicle platoons and to address key limitations present in conventional car-following models. Traditional models generally assume a fixed maximum speed within the optimal velocity function, which constrains effective platoon speed regulation across road segments with varying speed limits and lacks adaptability to dynamic scenarios such as changes in the platoon leader’s speed or substitution of the lead vehicle. The proposed adaptive model utilizes state estimation based on the unscented Kalman filter to dynamically identify each vehicle’s maximum achievable speed and to adjust inter-vehicle constraints, thereby enforcing a unified speed reference across the platoon. By estimating these maximum speeds and transmitting them to individual follower vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the model promotes smooth acceleration and deceleration behavior, reduces headway variability, and mitigates shockwave propagation within the platoon. Simulation studies—covering both single-leader acceleration and intermittent acceleration scenarios—demonstrate that, compared with conventional car-following models, the adaptive model based on the unscented Kalman filter achieves superior speed synchronization, improved headway stability, and smoother acceleration transitions. These enhancements lead to substantial improvements in traffic flow efficiency and string stability. The proposed approach offers a practical solution for coordinated platoon speed control in intelligent transportation systems, with promising application prospects for real-world implementation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d82484af533043cab67616fdb090af08 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-1702 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Machines |
| spelling | doaj-art-d82484af533043cab67616fdb090af082025-08-20T03:58:27ZengMDPI AGMachines2075-17022025-07-0113756910.3390/machines13070569An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed ControlCaixia Huang0Wu Tang1Jiande Wang2Zhiyong Zhang3College of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, ChinaSchool of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, ChinaCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, ChinaSchool of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, ChinaThis study proposes an adaptive car-following model based on the unscented Kalman filter algorithm to enable coordinated speed control in vehicle platoons and to address key limitations present in conventional car-following models. Traditional models generally assume a fixed maximum speed within the optimal velocity function, which constrains effective platoon speed regulation across road segments with varying speed limits and lacks adaptability to dynamic scenarios such as changes in the platoon leader’s speed or substitution of the lead vehicle. The proposed adaptive model utilizes state estimation based on the unscented Kalman filter to dynamically identify each vehicle’s maximum achievable speed and to adjust inter-vehicle constraints, thereby enforcing a unified speed reference across the platoon. By estimating these maximum speeds and transmitting them to individual follower vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the model promotes smooth acceleration and deceleration behavior, reduces headway variability, and mitigates shockwave propagation within the platoon. Simulation studies—covering both single-leader acceleration and intermittent acceleration scenarios—demonstrate that, compared with conventional car-following models, the adaptive model based on the unscented Kalman filter achieves superior speed synchronization, improved headway stability, and smoother acceleration transitions. These enhancements lead to substantial improvements in traffic flow efficiency and string stability. The proposed approach offers a practical solution for coordinated platoon speed control in intelligent transportation systems, with promising application prospects for real-world implementation.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/7/569platoon speed controladaptive car-following modelunscented Kalman filteroptimal velocity functionmaximum speed |
| spellingShingle | Caixia Huang Wu Tang Jiande Wang Zhiyong Zhang An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control Machines platoon speed control adaptive car-following model unscented Kalman filter optimal velocity function maximum speed |
| title | An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control |
| title_full | An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control |
| title_fullStr | An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control |
| title_short | An Improved Adaptive Car-Following Model Based on the Unscented Kalman Filter for Vehicle Platoons’ Speed Control |
| title_sort | improved adaptive car following model based on the unscented kalman filter for vehicle platoons speed control |
| topic | platoon speed control adaptive car-following model unscented Kalman filter optimal velocity function maximum speed |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/7/569 |
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