A Novel Approach for Self-Driving Vehicle Longitudinal and Lateral Path-Following Control Using the Road Geometry Perception

This study proposes an advanced intelligent vehicle path-following control system using deep reinforcement learning, with a particular focus on the role of road geometry perception in motion planning and control. The system is structured around a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) vehicle model, which facilitates the extraction of critical dynamic features necessary for robust control. The longitudinal control architecture integrates a Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) agent to optimise longitudinal velocity and acceleration, while lateral vehicle control is handled by a Deep Q-Network (DQN). To enhance situational awareness and adaptability, the system incorporates key input variables, including ego vehicle speed, speed error, lateral deviation, lateral error, and safety distance to the preceding vehicle, all in the context of road geometry and vehicle dynamics. In addition, the influence of road curvature is embedded into the control framework through perceived acceleration (sensed by vehicle occupants), allowing for more accurate and responsive adaptation to varying road conditions. The vehicle control system is tested in a simulated environment with a lead car in front with realistic speed profiles. The system outputs continuous values for acceleration and steering angle. The results of this study suggest that the proposed intelligent control system not only improves driver assistance but also has potential applications in autonomous driving. This framework contributes to the development of more autonomous, efficient, safety-aware, and comfortable vehicle control systems.