EVOLUTION TO FULL VEHICLE CONTROL - FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY

The United States Government, through an automated highway system (AHS) program, is investing in fully automated vehicle control as the next major performance upgrade to the Nation's vehicle-highway system. To many, the concept of fully automated vehicle control seems radical; but in fact, it is another point along the vehicle information systems revolution that is currently under way. One premise of the AHS program is that the major building blocks of an AHS will be on mass-produced vehicles in 10 to 15 years. In the late 1970s, microprocessors fueled the information systems revolution that impacted home, leisure, and office. For example, typewriters were replaced with word processors within a few years. The revolution continues as very powerful computers become available on inexpensive chips. The impact on vehicles has been dramatic as increasingly sophisticated, computer-based systems enter the market, such as the widely available anti-lock brakes and traction control systems, active suspension, and global positioning systems-based navigation and guidance. In the future, the increasingly powerful microprocessors will allow introduction of products, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) with forward-looking sensors; electronically actuated brakes and steering; collision avoidance warning and control; and lane keeping to hold a vehicle safely in its lane. A lane dedicated to vehicles with ACC, collision avoidance, lane keeping, and vehicle-infrastructure communication may then become the first, basic AHS. This paper describes the vehicle and infrastructure improvements that are likely in the next few years, and describes how the AHS program will build upon and guide them.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Five volumes of papers and one volume of abstracts comprise the published set of conference materials.
  • Corporate Authors:

    VERTIS

    TORANOMOM 34 MORI BUILDING 1-25-5
    TORANOMON, MINATOKU, TOKYO 105  Japan 
  • Authors:
    • Stevens, W B
    • Gouse III, S W
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 1995-11

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: p. 2530

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00726057
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 5
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Sep 16 1996 12:00AM