Mixed Traffic and Automated Highways

Abstract

A major issue in building a prototype automated highway system (AHS) is whether the system needs dedicated lanes, occupied only by computer-controlled cars that communicate and cooperate with each other; or whether the automated vehicles can be provided with enough sensing and intelligence that they can safely operate on regular highways, intermixed with manually-driven vehicles. A major portion of the CMU research effort in AHS is focused on determining the technical feasibility of operation in mixed traffic. This paper outlines the issues of mixed traffic vs. dedicated lanes, then describes CMU efforts in building complete demonstration systems, vehicle sensors, obstacle sensors, car tracking software, reasoning for tactical driving, and deployment scenarios.