Multifront Approach for Improving Navigation of Autonomous and Connected Trucks

Principal Investigator(s):

Imad Al-Qadi, Bliss Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Director – Illinois Center for Transportation
Yanfeng Ouyang, George Krambles Endowed Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Project Abstract:
Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) and autonomous and connected trucks (ACT) reduce congestion, increase efficiency, and improve safety, but they also increase pavement damage. This project will optimize the benefits and drawbacks of ACT at two levels. At the network level, ACT’s shipment routing and scheduling strategy for freight transportation that minimizes total cost will be developed. At the corridor level, real-time optimization will be performed; hence, ACT and platoons can adjust their configuration as they roll and external conditions change (e.g., wind speed, pavement condition). Accurate pavement damage prediction and ACT positioning affect successful deployment of the optimization in both levels. Accuracy of pavement damage prediction will be increased by including resting period, so the effect of truck separation in a platoon can be quantified. ACT positioning control will be enhanced by modifying material characteristics to allow better communications with the pavement.

Institution(s): University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Award Year: 2019

Research Thrust(s): Control & Operations, Enabling Technology, Infrastructure Design & Management, Modeling & Implementation

Project Form(s):