The N.A.I.C.C. Project: A Navigation Aided Intelligent Cruise Control System

Developing a knowledge-based predictive driver-aid system requires a strategy that meets the needs and goals, as well as rigorous methods. This paper presents the strategy adopted and the first results obtained in the development of the Navigation Aided Intelligent Cruise Control (N.A.I.C.C.) system. Once the vehicle is located on the route, this new copilot can: 1. define the travel direction and the vehicle speed, 2. determine the distance to the next bend and its characteristics, 3. predict the optimal speed to negotiate the next bend considering the road profile, the constraints given by the driver and the information provided by the sensors mounted on the vehicle. Then, used in the warning mode ("Driver Alarm Mode"), N.A.I.C.C. informs the driver of the danger of the situation (excessive speed) or, in the intervention mode ("Velocity Control Mode"), N.A.I.C.C. adapts the speed to the predicted reference. In this latter operating mode, N.A.I.C.C. can be considered as an advanced intelligent cruise control system. Real experiments were carried out with the laboratory test car to validate each module described.