Vision for longitudinal vehicle control

An important component of the drive towards intelligent vehicles is the ability to maintain a fixed distance from a lead vehicle using feedback provided by range sensors. We investigate the possibility of using stereo vision to provide the range information, in conjunction with a scanning laser radar sensor. The tracker utilizes a layered architecture wherein the bottom layer computes motion in both images using a simple correlation algorithm, and the upper level performs stereo fixation and reconstruction using an algorithm designed for active vision systems. We present details of the real-time implementation of the vision system on a network of C40 DSPs, and some initial results comparing the quality of range measurements provided by a vision system with the laser radar system.