Safer adaptive cruise control for traffic wave dampening

This project aims to develop an adaptive cruise controller for vehicles at low speeds in stop-and-go traffic. Current adaptive cruise controllers can use RADAR sensors to follow a vehicle at high speeds (greater than 18 mph), but reach their limits if the lead vehicle’s velocity dips below threshold, requiring the driver of the host vehicle to resume control over the car’s speed. Some cruise controllers adapt to stop-and-go traffic, but these are mostly experimental and have yet to see widespread commercial implementation. These experimental models often have issues because of their limited data; consequently, the acceleration and deceleration can be jarring and uncomfortable to passengers. In contrast, because of our reliable sensor data, and the sensor configuration unique to the CAT Vehicle, our cruise controller will be capable of following cars at low speeds and functioning continuously, even when the car is stopped.