# A Nested Graph Reinforcement Learning-based Decision-making Strategy for Eco-platooning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.07578 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.07578/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in RL for autonomous driving and traffic, one of 15 directions in Deep reinforcement learning methods.
- Builds on 7 of its 37 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 14 Aug 2024.

## Placed in

- Deep reinforcement learning methods / [RL for autonomous driving and traffic](https://mlsanity.com/deeprl/rl-for-autonomous-driving-and-traffic/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Graph Attention Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.10903/) (2017)
- [Continuous control with deep reinforcement learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1509.02971/) (2015)
- [Nested Graph Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.13197/) (2021)
- [Flow: A Modular Learning Framework for Mixed Autonomy Traffic](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.05465/) (2017)
- [Safe, Efficient, and Comfortable Velocity Control based on Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Driving](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1902.00089/) (2019)
- [Model-Based Safe Reinforcement Learning with Time-Varying State and Control Constraints: An Application to Intelligent Vehicles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.11217/) (2021)
- [Ethical Implications of Social Internet of Vehicles Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.09081/) (2018)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Platooning technology is renowned for its precise vehicle control, traffic flow optimization, and energy efficiency enhancement. However, in large-scale mixed platoons, vehicle heterogeneity and unpredictable traffic conditions lead to virtual bottlenecks. These bottlenecks result in reduced traffic throughput and increased energy consumption within the platoon. To address these challenges, we introduce a decision-making strategy based on nested graph reinforcement learning. This strategy improves collaborative decision-making, ensuring energy efficiency and alleviating congestion. We propose a theory of nested traffic graph representation that maps dynamic interactions between vehicles and platoons in non-Euclidean spaces. By incorporating spatio-temporal weighted graph into a multi-head attention mechanism, we further enhance the model's capacity to process both local and global data. Additionally, we have developed a nested graph reinforcement learning framework to enhance the self-iterative learning capabilities of platooning. Using the I-24 dataset, we designed and conducted comparative algorithm experiments, generalizability testing, and permeability ablation experiments, thereby validating the proposed strategy's effectiveness. Compared to the baseline, our strategy increases throughput by 10% and decreases energy use by 9%. Specifically, increasing the penetration rate of CAVs significantly enhances traffic throughput, though it also increases energy consumption.