Auburn engineers collaborate with industry partners on autonomous truck platooning

David Bevly, Albert J. Smith Jr. professor in Auburn University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of the GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, is leading a team of researchers on a Federal Highway Administration project to develop a drive-assistive truck platooning prototype (DATP), with the goal of saving fuel and decreasing traffic congestion without compromising safety.

The researchers are investigating partial automation – including throttle and braking systems – for two-truck platooning by integrating vehicle-to-vehicle communications and adaptive cruise control (ACC). Combining the communications system with ACC enables the following truck to travel at a close, yet safe, distance to the truck ahead.

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