Research on a new Smart Pedestrian Detection Sensor for Vehicles

This paper explains theory and design of a new smart pedestrian detection sensor by means of a sophisticated analysis of ultrasonic signals. The main objective is to enable driver assistance systems in vehicles to recognize whether an obstacle in front is a pedestrian or a car. In case of a likely collision the sensor activates pedestrian protection systems in an early stage. It consists of an ultrasonic transducer, an embedded system for transducer control and signal acquisition as well as a computer for signal analysis, feature extraction and classification. Results from laboratory experiments as well as an application of the sensor on a car are presented. The smart pedestrian detection sensor is able to detect moving and non-moving persons and even children.