Optimal Sequencing and Motion Control in a Roundabout with Safety Guarantees

Abstract

This paper develops a controller for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) traversing a single-lane roundabout. The controller simultaneously determines the optimal sequence and associated optimal motion control jointly minimizing travel time and energy consumption while providing speed-dependent safety guarantees, as well as satisfying velocity and acceleration constraints. This is achieved by integrating (a) Model Predictive Control (MPC) to enable receding horizon optimization with (b) Control Lyapunov-Barrier Functions (CLBFs) to guarantee convergence to a safe set in finite time, thus providing an extended stability region compared to the use of classic Control Barrier Functions (CBFs). The proposed MPC-CLBF framework addresses both infeasibility and myopic control issues commonly encountered when controlling CAVs over multiple interconnected control zones in a traffic network, which has been a limitation of prior work on CAVs going through roundabouts, while still providing safety guarantees. Simulations under varying traffic demands demonstrate the controller's effectiveness and stability.