Autonomous Intelligent Cruise Control (AICC) will be marketed by a number of vehicle manufacturers before the end of the decade. This paper will describe AICC and the next generation systems currently being developed and validated within the EC Fourth Framework project, Anti-Collision Autonomous Support and Safety Intervention SysTem (AC ASSIST).

The currently available cruise control systems which maintain a fixed speed are a well-known form of longitudinal driver support. The fixed speed cruise control becomes less useful with increased traffic volumes, as the driver must disable the system when a slower preceding vehicle is encountered.

The introduction of a transponder-based ship identification system may have far-reaching effects on the way navigation is carried out. Fundamental changes to the underlying principles of collision avoidance become a reality, offering the potential for a new set of sailing and anticollision rules that allow unprecedented levels of control for maritime traffic.

Meeting encounters, in which it is uncertain at what range the give-way ship will manoeuvre, are analysed using a model based on probability theory. Course alteration ranges of both giveway and (if necessary) stand-on ships are closely fitted by a simple mathematical model, which is also used to interpret the efficiency of the Collision Regulations.