Vehicular platooning: Multi-Layer Consensus Seeking

In this paper, a novel Multi-Layer Consensus Seeking (MLCS) framework is proposed, focusing on the vehicular platooning problem. The vehicles are described by linear heterogeneous dynamics. For example, we consider third-order systems, however the algorithms discussed are suitable for any higher-order. A velocity-dependent inter-vehicle spacing policy is rigorously addressed. The approach used is both multi-layered and consensus-based. The multi-layer approach allows to separate the problem of estimating the desired trajectories from the problem of controlling the vehicles towards those trajectories while keeping a safety distance. Consensus algorithms will be employed on each layer to solve these two problems.