String‐Stable Platooning Control of Connected Automated Vehicles Under Non‐Uniform Stochastic Communication Delays

ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with the platooning control problem of connected automated vehicles (CAVs) under non‐uniform stochastic vehicle‐to‐vehicle (V2V) communication delays. Most existing relevant studies assume uniform or deterministic or slowly varying delays, or design platoon controllers based on worst‐case delay bounds, resulting in overly conservative analysis and design criteria. To address this gap, we first develop a stochastic delay model that characterizes heterogeneous and time‐varying delays across multiple V2V links using statistical distributions. Building on this model, we then propose a distributed platooning control strategy that explicitly incorporates the stochastic delay characteristics and a refined constant‐time headway spacing policy into the control law, enabling robust tracking performance while ensuring both individual stability and string stability. Furthermore, rigorous stability analysis allows us to establish sufficient delay‐distribution‐dependent conditions linking delay statistics to controller gain design, providing insight into the trade‐offs between robustness and performance. Finally, extensive simulation studies are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed platooning control method.