Stereo vision based full-range object detection and tracking

Active safety applications can be divided into two categories according to the sensor technology the system uses: short range applications and long range applications. Short range applications require reliable sensing of a wider field-of-view but limited range, while long range applications require accurate sensing of a long range but within a limited FOV. In this paper, we present a stereo vision based system that is capable of detecting and tracking objects in full range and wide FOV, which effectively enables both short range and long range applications to happen simultaneously in a single system. The system runs at 20 Hz on embedded hardware, computing 1280×456 range maps, road surface estimation, object detection, segmentation and tracking. For vehicle sized objects, the system has a detection capability of 3 to 160 meters, which is needed for the operation of collision warning/ avoidance systems.