Collision Avoidance System using YOLO-based Object Detection and Distance Estimation

Road accidents are a significant global issue, with human error causing a substantial number of collisions. This emphasizes the need for advanced collision avoidance systems to improve road safety. In response, this study integrates object detection and distance estimation techniques to enhance vehicle safety. Utilizing recent iterations of the YOLO architecture—YOLOv6n, YOLOv8n, YOLOv9t, and YOLOv10n—the models were trained and evaluated on the KITTI dataset, a benchmark suite for driving applications. This research study provides a comparative analysis of these models, focusing on performance metrics such as precision, mean average precision, recall, and F1 score. A novel single-camera distance estimation method was also implemented to assess object proximity accurately. Among the evaluated models, YOLOv8n achieved the best results, with a F1 score of 0.74 and a mAP@0.5 of 0.782, demonstrating superior detection accuracy and reliability. Its swift convergence and low training losses make it well-suited for real-world use cases. While YOLOv9t and YOLOv10n also performed well, they were slightly less effective. The system enhances its capabilities by accurately estimating distances, which improves collision avoidance and road safety applications. Overall, YOLOv8n is the most efficient and reliable option for developing advanced safety features in vehicle systems.