Towards Safer and More Efficient Cooperative Vehicle Platooning: Map-Based Calibration of Centralised LQR Control

This paper proposes a calibration-oriented framework for cooperative adaptive cruise control based on a linear quadratic regulator formulation. A simulation-based architecture is developed by integrating the controller with a nonlinear longitudinal platoon model that explicitly accounts for actuator saturation and tyre–road friction limits, enabling the analysis of platoon behaviour under realistic operating conditions. A systematic offline calibration methodology is introduced based on multidimensional performance maps, relating key performance indicators associated with collision avoidance, comfort, and energy efficiency to controller and spacing-policy tuning parameters. The map-based approach enables a structured exploration of competing objectives and provides a quantitative assessment of controller sensitivity. The results show that the proposed framework can identify calibration regions that preserve collision-free operation in safety-critical manoeuvres while maintaining satisfactory tracking and comfort-related performance. In addition, the off-nominal model parameters analysis confirms that the proposed calibration approach remains effective under heterogeneous operating conditions, including vehicle parametric variation of mass, rolling resistance coefficient and drag. Overall, the results support the use of the proposed methodology as a practical tool for robust and performance-oriented controller calibration.