Analysis and implementation of vehicle Platooning through real-case simulations in SUMO

Today the possibility of self-driving vehicles becoming a common method of transportation becomes more and more real. Autonomous driving represents a significant milestone in the evolution of transportation systems. Currently, the technology is progressing, but its implementation is more complicated due also to ethical and regulatory issues. However, the hope is to reach full vehicle automation in the near future because this technology could bring numerous benefits in terms of human safety and vehicle efficiency. One potential direction for the advancement of autonomous driving is the concept of Platooning, a cooperative driving approach that involves multiple vehicles traveling in string formation and in close proximity to each other. Platooning is achievable due to the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and the communication technologies that allow vehicles to cooperate and move as a coordinated group. This technique can help mitigate some problems such as road congestion, environmental pollution, road traffic efficiency and could also play a key role in improving vehicle safety, efficiency and fuel consumption. The contribution of this thesis is to analyze, implement and test the platooning driving method through simulations in a real-world framework. The simulations are performed using SUMO software and primarily focus on study of the lateral dynamics control system for platoons. In the initial phase, the construction of the model for the individual vehicle to be simulated was undertaken. Subsequently, the development of the controller was conducted within Matlab Simulink. Then the Matlab/ Simulink model of the platoon was integrated in the SUMO framework. Finally to assess the model and controller's effectiveness, a simulation of a real-case driving scenario was conducted.