FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES IN THE AUTOMATIC LONGITUDINAL CONTROL OF VEHICLES

Abstract

The achievement of safe and efficient longitudinal control is probably the most significant technical problem associated with individual-vehicle transport systems such as PRT, dual-mode, and the automatic highway. The accomplishments over the first year of a two-year study include: (a) the development of a technique, which involves the use of discrete elements embedded in the guideway, for measuring vehicle position; (b) the development of an approach employing audio frequencies and helically wound transmission lines for providing continuous position reference information, to a string of moving vehicles; (c) the partial development of a promising technique for the accurate measurement of instantaneous velocity; (d) the development of a validated model for a vehicle's propulsion system dynamics; and (e) the design and testing of a vehicle controller which provides excellent tracking and a comfortable ride under all normal control conditions.