The Obstacle Detection and Measurement Based on Machine Vision

To develop a quick obstacle detection and measurement algorithm for the image-based autonomous vehicle (AV) or computer assisted driving system, this paper utilize the previous work of object detection to get the position of an obstacle and refocus windows on the selected target. Further calculation based on single camera will give the detailed measurement of the object, like the height, the distance to the vehicle, and possibly the width. It adopts a two camera system with different pitch angles, which can perform real-time monitoring for the front area of the vehicle with different coverage. This paper assumes that the vehicle will move at an even speed on a flat road, cameras will sample images at a given rate and the images will be analyzed simultaneously. Focus will be on the virtual window area of the image which is proved to be related to the distance to the object and speed of the vehicle. Counting of the blackened virtual sub-area can quickly find the existence of an obstacle and the obstacle area will be cut to get the interested parameter measurements for the object evaluation.