2023/12/11 by Ahmed Abdelrahman, Omar M. Shehata, Abdelrahman, Ahmed +5
Engineering · Environmental Science · #Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Electrical engineering #Multiagent Systems (cs.MA) #Robotics (cs.RO) #Systems and Control (eess.SY) #Traffic control and management #Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) #Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2312.06858
openalex publication_date 2023/12/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Cooperative autonomous driving plays a pivotal role in improving road capacity and safety within intelligent transportation systems, particularly through the deployment of autonomous vehicles on urban streets. By enabling vehicle-to-vehicle communication, these systems expand the vehicles environmental awareness, allowing them to detect hidden obstacles and thereby enhancing safety and reducing crash rates compared to human drivers who rely solely on visual perception. A key application of this technology is vehicle platooning, where connected vehicles drive in a coordinated formation. This paper introduces a vehicle platooning approach designed to enhance traffic flow and safety. Developed using deep reinforcement learning in the Unity 3D game engine, known for its advanced physics, this approach aims for a high-fidelity physical simulation that closely mirrors real-world conditions. The proposed platooning model focuses on scalability, decentralization, and fostering positive cooperation through the introduced predecessor-follower "sharing and caring" communication framework. The study demonstrates how these elements collectively enhance autonomous driving performance and robustness, both for individual vehicles and for the platoon as a whole, in an urban setting. This results in improved road safety and reduced traffic congestion.