A Modular Platooning and Vehicle Coordination Simulator for Research and Education

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modular, Python-based simulator designed for research and education in vehicle control and coordination, enabling easy setup, visualization, and customization of complex traffic scenarios.

Contribution

It presents a flexible, extensible simulation platform that simplifies the evaluation of vehicle control algorithms and supports educational activities with visual feedback.

Findings

Supports complex traffic scenario simulation

Facilitates research on vehicle coordination algorithms

Enhances control education with interactive exercises

Abstract

This work presents a modular, Python-based simulator that simplifies the evaluation of novel vehicle control and coordination algorithms in complex traffic scenarios while keeping the implementation overhead low. It allows researchers to focus primarily on developing the control and coordination strategies themselves, while the simulator manages the setup of complex road networks, vehicle configuration, execution of the simulation and the generation of video visualizations of the results. It is thereby also well-suited to support control education by allowing instructors to create interactive exercises providing students with direct visual feedback. Thanks to its modular architecture, the simulator remains easily customizable and extensible, lowering the barrier for conducting advanced simulation studies in vehicle and traffic control research.