Intelligent Lane Changing Advisory System

Connected Vehicles Technology aims at bringing connectivity between vehicles, infrastructure and even mobile devices using Dedicated Short Range Communication. The technology is expected to make surface transportation safer, improve mobility and provide benefits to the environment. This document aims at conceptualizing a possible application when this technology is established and is named Intelligent Lane Changing Advisory System (ILCAS). It helps drivers make smarter decisions regarding lane-changes. The system is goal-oriented and can be chosen to provide smart trajectory advise using lane-change indications with a user-chosen goal to either minimize the total fuel consumed or to minimize total travel delay.   It uses vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication to predict delay due to stopping/turning/slowing traffic in front of the subject vehicle and compares it with alternatives taking in to consideration, upcoming signal phase, presence of vehicles in the blind-spot and presence of left-turning vehicles waiting for a gap on alternate left-lane and advise the driver, an optimum decision using in-vehicle in-dash displays. The system is smart, safe and potentially green which were the goals of Connected Vehicle initiative. Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication is used to get upcoming signal phase which helps the system judge if the vehicle is at advantage if it changes lane and speeds up.   The system is goal-oriented and hence the driver can choose to minimize total fuel consumed or to minimize total delay encountered. If minimizing fuel is the chosen goal, the system predicts the fuel consumed for various alternatives (such as staying in lane, or switching lanes) using state-of-the-art fuel consumption model calibrated for that particular vehicle and makes a smart judgment. If minimizing delay is the chosen goal, the system predicts the delay accumulated due to the possible alternative actions using complex car-following and vehicle dynamics model and advise the driver accordingly.