A simple distributed algorithm for lightless intersection control based on non-linear interactions between vehicles

We propose a scheme for the urban intersection control without using the traffic light, that has the potential to substantially improve the efficiency of the urban traffic flow. Many existing approaches for the lightless intersection control depend on near 100% market penetration of the autonomous vehicles, which could be the bottleneck for the real world implementations in the near future. Our proposal is based on a set of algorithms modelling a simple form of vehicle-to-vehicle interaction, that only requires a majority of vehicles on the road to be minimally guided by the adaptive cruise control. For vehicles approaching the intersection from different directions, their dynamics are regulated by interactions that institute pre-emptive deceleration, to ensure smooth passage across the intersection. We also discuss the conceptual relationship between the traffic flow stability and the efficiency of the lightless intersection control, as well as some aspects of the traffic policies complementing our control algorithm to minimise the impact on the conventional driving behaviours.