Optimal look-ahead vehicle lane centering control design and application for mid-high speed and curved roads

This paper describes an automated lane centering control system that has been developed at FCA Research and Development Technical Center. Our system uses as sensors a single mono-camera to recognize lane markings on the road ahead and traditional Electronic Stability Control (ESC) sensors (e.g. accelerometers and gyro), then the actuation is based on a column Electric Power Steering (EPS) that applies a torque able to steer the vehicle. The optimal lateral control algorithm calculates on vehicle states estimation base a steering angle command that is tracked by a low level steering wheel position control in a nested control loop framework. In addition, proposed technical solution is able also to provide driver hand on/off detection in a hierarchical approach to manage different SAE Automation Levels. The control algorithm is implemented on an FCA demonstration vehicle and validated at straight roads and various curve roads of up to 70m of curve radius for different vehicle speeds from 30 to 100 [km/h]. The results of developed solution on hereafter experimental lane change are satisfying and lead to a maximum lateral error of less than 20 cm.