A Snowplow Steering Guidance System Using Roadway Markers - Problem Formulation and Solution Concept

Acquisition and utilization of lateral guidance information is crucial for steering a vehicle. With practice, human drivers have performed this function quite successfully using visual perception and hand -eye coordination. However, this seemingly simple task becomes difficult when the visual information loses its clarity. Driving a snowplow during whiteout conditions is one such example. In order to improve the safety and efficiency of the snow removal operation, a supplemental guidance display was proposed and instrumented in a Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) snowplow. The guidance information was calculated based on the magnetic markers embedded in the roadway. Operations for the steering guidance system were successfully conducted on a 6.25 km freeway over Donner Summit on Interstate 80 in California during the 1998–1999 winter season. The key to this success was a transformation of the guidance display problem into a control problem. This paper describes the problem formulation and the solution concept for this steering guidance system.