Looking-in and looking-out of a vehicle: selected investigations in computer vision based enhanced vehicle safety

This paper presents an overview of investigations into the role of computer vision technology in developing safer automobiles. We consider vision systems which cannot only look out of the vehicle to detect and track roads, avoid hitting obstacles or pedestrian, but simultaneously look inside the vehicle to monitor the attentiveness of the driver and even predict her intentions. In this paper, a systems-oriented framework for developing computer vision technology for safer automobiles is presented. We will consider three main components of the system, driver, vehicle, and vehicle surround. We will discuss various issues and ideas for developing models for these main components as well as activities associated with the complex task of safe driving. The paper includes discussion of novel sensory systems and algorithms for capturing not only the dynamic surround information of the vehicle but also the state, intent and activity patterns of drivers.