The work presented here represents a feasibility study for the application of Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS) to transit bus and commercial vehicle operations. This paper explores past and present research relevant to automatic control for trucks and buses, and recommends specific operations that could be better performed by AVCS-assisted or controlled vehicles. A survey of feasible technologies for the guidance and control of such vehicles is also presented for various levels of automation.

This report documents work for Task Order 4230 that was follow-on work to prior research performed at PATH under Task Order 366. The current work continued to expand our understanding of the issues involved with time-staging the deployment of advanced vehicle control and safety systems (AVCSS) to help lead toward future automated highway systems. The time-staging challenge has long been identified as one of the most significant impediments to deployment, particularly because of the "chicken and egg" problem associated with vehicle and infrastructure technology implementation. These "chicken and egg" deployment challenges are also being investigated on an international scale. As part of this project we also conducted a detailed review of the international status of AVCSS development and deployment, in collaboration with the European Commission's STARDUST project and provides a comprehensive picture of the status of these technologies not only in the U.S., but also in Japan and Europe. In terms of the time-staging aspects of AVCSS deployment, heavy vehicle opportunities are likely to develop earliest, however, the largest potential benefits are still likely when the technologies are applied to the much larger population of passenger cars.

The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Program is a cooperative effort by government, private industry, and academia to apply advanced technology to the task of resolving the problems of surface transportation. The objective is to improve travel efficiency and mobility, enhance safety, conserve energy, provide economic benefits, and protect the environment. The current demand for mobility has exceeded the available capacity of the roadway system. Because the highway system cannot be expanded, except in minor ways, the available capacity must be used more efficiently to handle the increased demand. ITS applies advanced information processing, communication, sensing, and computer control technologies to the problems of surface transportation. Considerable research and development efforts will be required to produce these new technologies and to convert technologies developed in the defense and space programs to solve surface transportation problems. ITS has been subdivided into six interlocking technology areas. This book addresses human factors concerns for four of these areas: * Advanced Traveler Information Systems are a variety of systems that provide real time, in-vehicle information to drivers regarding navigation and route guidance, motorist services, roadway signing, and hazard warnings. * Advanced Vehicle Control Systems refer to systems that aid drivers in controlling their vehicle particularly in emergency situations and ultimately taking over some or all of the driving tasks. * Commercial Vehicle Operations address the application of ITS technologies to the special needs of commercial roadway vehicles including automated vehicle identification, location, weigh-in-motion, clearance sensing, and record keeping. * Advanced Traffic Management Systems monitor, control and manage traffic on streets and highways to reduce congestion using vehicle route diversion, automated signal timing, changeable message signs, and priority control systems. Two technical areas are not specifically addressed in individual chapters, but many aspects of them are covered in associated chapters: * Advanced Rural Transportation Systems include systems that apply ITS technologies to the special needs of rural systems and include emergency notification and response, vehicle location, and traveler information. * Advanced Public Transportation Systems enhance the effectiveness, attractiveness and economics of public transportation and include fleet management, automated fare collection, and real-time information systems.

The AVEC symposium is a leading international conference in the fields of vehicle dynamics and advanced vehicle control, bringing together scientists and engineers from academia and automotive industry. The first symposium was held in 1992 in Yokohama, Japan. Since then, biennial AVEC symposia have been established internationally and have considerably contributed to the progress of technology in automotive research and development. In 2016 the 13th International Symposium on Advanced Vehicle Control (AVEC’16) was held in Munich, Germany, from 13th to 16th of September 2016. The symposium was hosted by the Munich University of Applied Sciences. AVEC’16 puts a special focus on automatic driving, autonomous driving functions and driver assist systems, integrated control of interacting control systems, controlled suspension systems, active wheel torque distribution, and vehicle state and parameter estimation. 132 papers were presented at the symposium and are published in these proceedings as full paper contributions. The papers review the latest research developments and practical applications in highly relevant areas of vehicle control, and may serve as a reference for researchers and engineers.

Experts address some of the main issues and uncertainties associated with the design and deployment of Automated Highway Systems (AHS). They discuss new AHS concepts, technology, and benefits, as well as institutional, environmental, and social issues - concerns that will affect dramatically the operation of the current highway system from both the vehicle and infrastructure points of view.