The Research Ireland funded ClearWay1 project is investigating new models of road management is which each vehicle is allocated a so-called ‘slot’ in which to travel for the duration of its journey. Adherence to travelling in its allocated slot ensures congestion-free travel from source to destination for each vehicle (in the absence of unexpected events). Currently, a central control system is in charge of vehicle scheduling along the road with remaining within its assigned slot to be supported by a cruise control system installed in the vehicle. This project will explore an alternative approach in which connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) coordinate their behaviours to achieve the same effect by implementing a set of rules that govern cooperative cruising, lane changing, entering and exiting the motorway, and obstacle avoidance.
1 The ClearWay project is supported by the RI Frontiers for the Future Programme under award number 21/FFP-A/8957 from 2022 to 2027.