Flexible and Energy-Saving Platooning Control Using a Two-Layer Controller

This paper proposes a method for controlling the behavior of vehicles with respect to platooning techniques such as forming and splitting a platoon and switching lateral control between vehicle-following mode and road-following mode. The proposed control architecture comprises two layers: a status-control layer and a motion-control layer. This two-layer control architecture improves the behavior of individual vehicles and the platoon as a whole without increasing the complexity of the system. Moreover, the proposed control method allows for the formation of a platoon in accordance with a rule designed to promote energy-saving maneuvering at the time of the platoon's formation. The proposed control method is validated by conducting experiments using small electric vehicles.