language: en

THE AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM: A TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

M. Broucke and P. Varaiya 1
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of California,
Berkeley CA 94720
mire, varaiya@eclair.eecs.berkeley.edu

Abstract. The current vehicle-highway system has reached a plateau in its ability to meet the demand for moving goods and people. We sketch an architecture for an automated highway system or AHS. The architecture can be realized by several designs that differ in terms of performance and sophistication. We describe one design that could triple capacity and reduce travel time; guarantee collision-free operation in the absence of malfunctions; limit performance degradation in the case of faults; and reduce emissions by half. We summarize evidence suggesting that the design can be implemented. We indicate how the design can be adapted to different urban and rural scenarios and how a standard land use model can show the impact of AHS on urban density. We conclude with a critique of AHS.

Keywords. Automated vehicles, hierarchical control

1. INTRODUCTION