A gentle nudge towards safety: experimental validation of the potential field driver assistance system

This paper presents experimental validation of a driver assistance lanekeeping system based on a potential field framework. This system is implemented on a 1997 Corvette modified for steer-by-wire capability. This testbed has no mechanical connection between the hand wheel and road wheels, allowing the lanekeeping system to add control inputs independently from the driver. The potential field framework provides an intuitive approach for combining commands from the controller and driver. The state estimation and lane position errors are obtained using the Global Position System (GPS) and precision road maps. Preliminary experimental data shows that this control scheme performs extremely well for driver assistance and closely matches simulation results, verifying previous theoretical guarantees for safety.