Performance assessment of an adaptive model predictive control with torque braking for lane changes

Abstract

The growing demand for autonomous vehicles requires robust control systems that can maintain safety during complex maneuvers like lane changes. However, a significant research gap exists in developing controllers that effectively manage the combined challenges of steering and braking across diverse and unpredictable driving conditions, such as varying speeds and low-friction road surfaces. This research addresses this gap by proposing and evaluating an adaptive model predictive control (MPC) system integrated with a torque braking distribution strategy. The key advantage of our adaptive method is its ability to continuously update its internal model in real-time, allowing it to anticipate and respond to changing road friction and vehicle dynamics more effectively than a static controller. In simulations of a lane change maneuver across speeds of 10-25 m/s and road friction levels from 0.3 (icy) to 1 (dry asphalt), the proposed system demonstrated a substantial performance improvement. The proposed framework demonstrated a 52.8% average reduction in lateral tracking error and enhanced stability by reducing the yaw rate by up to 41.8% on low-friction surfaces, compared to a non-adaptive MPC baseline. These results quantitatively confirm that our framework’s synergistic coordination of steering and braking significantly enhances the safety, precision, and reliability of autonomous lane change maneuvers.