Handling Pedestrian Uncertainty in Coordinating Autonomous Vehicles at Signal-Free Intersections

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for coordinating connected autonomous vehicles at signal-free intersections, incorporating pedestrian detection and emergency re-planning to enhance safety and efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a novel vehicle-to-infrastructure communication protocol and a re-planning mechanism for emergency pedestrian detection in intersection management.

Findings

Effective emergency re-planning for CAVs upon pedestrian detection

Validated approach through MATLAB and RoadRunner simulations

Improved safety and efficiency in intersection crossing scenarios

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a theoretical framework for the coordination of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) at signal-free intersections, accounting for the unexpected presence of pedestrians. First, we introduce a general vehicle-to-infrastructure communication protocol and a low-level controller that determines the optimal unconstrained trajectories for CAVs, in terms of fuel efficiency and travel time, to cross the intersection without considering pedestrians. If such an unconstrained trajectory is unattainable, we introduce sufficient certificates for each CAV to cross the intersection while respecting the associated constraints. Next, we consider the case where an unexpected pedestrian enters the road. When the CAV's sensors detect a pedestrian, an emergency mode is activated, which imposes certificates related to an unsafe set in the pedestrian's proximity area. Simultaneously, a re-planning mechanism is implemented for all CAVs to accommodate the trajectories of vehicles operating in emergency mode. Finally, we validate the efficacy of our approach through simulations conducted in MATLAB and RoadRunner softwares, which facilitate the integration of sensor tools and the realization of real-time implementation.