Organization and Operation of Electronically Coupled Truck Platoons on German Motorways

  • Authors:

  • Ralph Kunze;Richard Ramakers;Klaus Henning;Sabina Jeschke

  • Affiliations:

  • Center for Learning and Knowledge Management and, Department of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering (ZLW/IMA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany 52068;Center for Learning and Knowledge Management and, Department of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering (ZLW/IMA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany 52068;Center for Learning and Knowledge Management and, Department of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering (ZLW/IMA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany 52068;Center for Learning and Knowledge Management and, Department of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering (ZLW/IMA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany 52068

  • Venue:
  • ICIRA '09 Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Robotics and Applications
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

One opportunity to manage the increase of freight transportation and to optimize utilization of motorway capacities is the concept of truck platoons. With the aid of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, trucks are electronically coupled keeping very short gaps (approx. 10 meters) to form truck platoons on motorways. This contributes to optimisation of traffic flow and reduction of fuel consumption advantaged by slipstream driving. In this paper, a brief introduction into these truck platoons is given as well as a short overview about the elements of the automation-, information- and automotive-technology of the experimental trucks. The paper focuses on the Driver Information System which helps truck drivers to organize and operate these platoons. A generic software architecture for the Driver Information System of the platoon system is presented, which guarantees the development of a modern, flexible, extensible and easily configurable system, especially for Human Machine Interfaces of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.