POMDP-Based Trajectory Planning for On-Ramp Highway Merging

Abstract: This paper addresses the trajectory planning problem for automated vehicle on-ramp highway merging. To tackle this challenge, we extend our previous work on trajectory planning at unsignalized intersections using Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs). The method utilizes the Adaptive Belief Tree (ABT) algorithm, an approximate sampling-based approach to solve POMDPs efficiently. We outline the POMDP formulation process, beginning with discretizing the highway topology to reduce problem complexity. Additionally, we describe the dynamics and measurement models used to predict future states and establish the relationship between available noisy measurements and predictions. Building on our previous work, the dynamics model is expanded to account for lateral movements necessary for lane changes during the merging process. We also define the reward function, which serves as the primary mechanism for specifying the desired behavior of the automated vehicle, combining multiple goals such as avoiding collisions or maintaining appropriate velocity. Our simulation results, conducted on three scenarios based on real-life traffic data from German highways, demonstrate the method's ability to generate safe, collision-free, and efficient merging trajectories. This work shows the versatility of this POMDP-based approach in tackling various automated driving problems.