Real-time road detection with image texture analysis-based vanishing point estimation

Visual perception is a key component of an autonomous vehicle system. Road detection is an essential function of a visual navigation system for an autonomous vehicle. Generally, detecting lane markings is a feasible and efficient approach to road detection. However, this method is not applicable for particular situations, e.g. rural roads without lane markings. Furthermore, lacking of sharp, smooth edges and homogeneous surface brings difficulties to road detection. A texture analysis based vanishing point estimation method is used to detect road in this paper. The idea is that consistency in texture leads to the vanishing point in an image. The method uses the Sobel filter to compute the texture orientations. Then the vanishing point of the road is voted from the orientation of the texture. Finally, the vanishing point is used to constrain the searching of two road boundaries since they pass through the vanishing point.