At this year’s International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main, DaimlerChrysler is
presenting pioneering safety technology for the prevention of accidents at road
intersections. For the first time at an automobile show, DaimlerChrysler
Research is showing prototypes of new, video-based assistance functions that
have been specially developed for traffic situations at intersections.
“Our safety technology helps to recognize potentially dangerous situations
earlier, to carry out critical driving maneuvers successfully, and thus to
minimize the overall accident risk,” explained Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the
Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG with responsibility for Research and
Technology and for Development at the Mercedes Car Group. “DaimlerChrysler has
long been a technological pioneer, setting standards and bench-marks in the
field of safety. And we will continue to deliver pioneering innovations in the
future.”
Driver assistance systems for road intersections protect not only the driver but
also other road users, for example by recognizing traffic approaching from the
side and warning of potential collisions in good time. Road intersections are
the most frequent scene of accidents in city traffic. Most of the accidents that
happen there are due to drivers not noticing red lights or stop signs. Other
common causes of accidents are mistakes when turning out of or into a main road.
In urban driving conditions, the driver has to quickly asses the situation, make
decisions and react accordingly – while keeping a watchful eye on the road and
other road users.
Cars learn to “See”
Around 60% of all urban accidents occur at intersections either as a result of
red lights or stop signs being overlooked or during turning maneuvers. These
collisions are mainly caused by a driver’s attention being diverted or a
driver’s false assessment of the situation. People often react just a fraction
of a second too late. Experts have estimated that about half of all accidents at
intersections with stop lights could be avoided if drivers were warned against
inadvertently passing a red light. But assistance systems require virtually zero
reaction time. The immediate flow of information with rapid optical systems can
be utilized to warn the driver in good time. The process developed by
DaimlerChrysler Research provides assistance: A video camera behind the
windscreen supplies pictures of the traffic situation and a picture-processing
algorithm analyzes these pictures with the use of pattern recognition. Bright
spots of light are recognized and traffic lights can be distinguished from
similar objects such as the brake lights of vehicles ahead with the aid of
learnt information. Camera pictures are evaluated with a special algorithm also
for the recognition of stop signs, which are recognized through the analysis of
shape, markings, and writing.
Motion Recognition a Key
Element
Even greater safety advances are offered by motion recognition – an additional
module of the Intersection Assistant. The additional information delivered by a
specially developed reliable system of picture-recognition is used to warn the
driver in good time. A mobile stereo camera monitors the situation ahead of the
car. Information from a digital roadmap ensures that the camera can be optimally
pointed and focused on the situation of the approaching intersection in advance.
Within a few milliseconds, the system registers objects moving towards the
vehicle’s lane from the side. By analyzing the direction of motion, distance and
speed in relation to its own vehicle, the system assesses whether there is the
risk of an accident.
Cross-traffic is recognized via the detection of moving pixels. Their movement
is tracked over time and the danger of collision is calculated in advance.
Vectors marked in different colors symbolize the potential danger calculated for
the next half a second. The length of the vector indicates the speed of the
object.
Multi-Stage Warning
System for Dangerous
Situations
No matter whether cross-traffic, stop signs or red lights – if the object has
been recognized and the driver does not react, he or she receives a warning.
This comes in several stages: first visual and then acoustic. If required, the
brakes are briefly operated as an additional warning.
Automatic emergency braking has also been performed with the test vehicles of
the DaimlerChrysler Research department in order to demonstrate the system’s
abilities. The research engineers aim to provide maximum support for
anticipatory driving, without relieving the driver of his or her responsibility,
however.
Research has also been done into the question of how and when information can be
best provided to the driver. The management of information and warnings
appropriate for each situation makes sure that the driver first receives the
information that is the most important for the current situation. This ranking
ensures that warnings have priority.
The work on the Intersection Assistant has been partially supported by Federal
Ministry for Research and Technology within the framework of the “INVENT”
research initiative. The task of ongoing research work will be to further refine
the prototypes and then to develop new pioneering safety systems for the traffic
of the future.
DaimlerChrysler Research is Working on the Vision of
Accident-Free Driving
The goal for the future is intelligent assistance systems that can interpret
situations in advance. With the aid of sensor data, DaimlerChrysler’s research
engineers are already able not only to analyze traffic situations, but also to
forecast whether a situation could lead to the danger of an accident. In the
future, DaimlerChrysler assistance systems will be able to “comprehend” the
entire environment of a vehicle. In this way, they will be able to interpret the
current driving situation even more reliably, and will thus contribute to
enhanced road safety.