VEHICLE SYSTEMS AND AUTONOMOUS LANE DEPARTURE MITIGATION METHODS

Vehicles and related systems and methods are provided for mitigating lane departures, alternatively referred to as lane keeping assistance. One method of assisting vehicle operation involves determining a control trajectory for the vehicle over a prediction horizon that satisfies one or more steering angle constraints for operating a steering system of the vehicle based at least in part on a current steering angle, a first difference between the control trajectory and a reference lateral trajectory for the vehicle and a second difference between the control trajectory and a lane boundary, for example, by minimizing a weighted sum of the differences. The method continues by determining a steering angle command for the vehicle based at least in part on the control trajectory and autonomously operating one or more actuators onboard the vehicle in accordance with the steering angle command prior to the vehicle crossing the lane boundary.