Real-Time Merging of High-Speed Vehicular Strings

The problem of merging two strings of vehicles is considered and a complete merging strategy is presented. This strategy consists of a combination of a real time assignment algorithm with a decentralized control law. The real time assignment algorithm assigns vehicles to moving reference cells in order to provide for smooth merges at the junction of two guideways. The control law, which has the task of moving the vehicles to follow the reference positions in an optimum way, is implemented by fixed gain controllers aboard each vehicle. These controllers are designed to use information only about the vehicle itself and its nearest neighbors.