Virtual Target-Based Longitudinal Motion Planning of Autonomous Vehicles at Urban Intersections: Determining Control Inputs of Acceleration with Human Driving Characteristic-Based Constraints

This article describes the development and implementation of virtual target-based longitudinal motion planning of autonomous vehicles at urban intersections ensuring safety and ride comfort. In this study, virtual targets are designed to cope with oncoming vehicles in the blind zone at the intersection for safety. The true field of view (FOV) of cognitive sensors and the virtual target states are constructed based on the sensor specification and intersection road information from a high-definition (HD) map. The future states and intention of sensor-detected targets are inferred and predicted with an interacting multiple model (IMM) filter. The local IMM filters are employed with an intelligent driver model (IDM). Based on predicted target states, two driving modes-"cross"and "stop"-under three different intersection stages-"approach,""intersection in,"and "intersection out"-are determined. The model predictive control (MPC) is formulated to determine the control inputs of acceleration with human driving characteristics-based constraints. The proposed algorithm is evaluated through simulation to indicate the effectiveness of the virtual target. The suggested motion planning has been implemented on an autonomous driving vehicle and tested on urban roads.