Sensing an intersection using a network of laser scanners and video cameras

In this research, a novel system for monitoring an intersection using a network of single-row laser range scanners (subsequently abbreviated as "laser scanner") and video cameras is proposed. Laser scanners are set on the road side to profile an intersection horizontally from different viewpoints. The contour points of moving objects are captured at a certain horizontal plane with a high scanning rate (e.g., 37 Hz). A laser-based processing algorithm is developed, thus the moving objects entered the intersection are detected and tracked to estimate their state parameters, such as: location, speed, and direction at each time instance. In addition, laser data and processing results are forwarded to an associated video camera, so that a visualization as well as fusion-based processing can be achieved. An experiment in central Beijing is presented, demonstrating that a large quantity of physical dimension and detailed traffic data can be obtained through such a system.