Image Processing Methods and Algorithms for Embedded Systems in Automotive Industry

Real-Time Image Processing for Automotive Panoramic Visualization

Researchers

  • Sven Lončarić and Davor Kovačec, project leaders
  • Adam Hedji
  • Marko Vidović

Institutions

  • University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing
  • Xylon d.o.o.

Project duration

This ongoning project started in 2008.

Funding

The project has been funded by Xylon d.o.o..

Description

The project addresses emerging requirements of automotive industry for advanced driver assistance systems (ASAD). This system enables the driver to see the complete perimeter around the vehicle and serves as parking assistance for standard vehicles and special purpose vehicles. The system consists of multiple cameras mounted on the vehicle and custom FPGA based processing unit for real time image acquisition, processing and visualization. The cameras are equipped with fish-eye lens with field of view of more than 180-degrees. The image from each camera undergoes lens distortion correction, perspective correction, and stitching to create a view from a viewing point placed above the vehicle.  

The second goal of the project is to develop real time image processing and computer vision methods suitable for implementation on FPGA hardware platform and software for automatic camera calibration and multiple camera system calibration. Significant FPGA platform restrictions and limitations impose great challenges on implementation of methods for image processing.

The third goal of the project is to develop a methodology and software for dynamic calibration of the cameras, which is required for adaptive changes in camera calibration parameters due to variable vehicle load. The method will be implemented using FPGA hardware and will help achieve a high quality visualization of the vehicle surroundings regardless of the number of persons in the vehicle or the load.

The fourth goal is an alternative type of visualization obtained by projection of the ground plane onto a bowl-shaped surface. The resulting visualization has the advantage that the distant portions of the scene are displayed in such a way that scene details are better presented.