Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) is a driver support function which can be used to notify and warn the driver which restrictions may be effective on the current stretch of road. Examples for such regulations are ‘speed limit zones’ or ‘no-overtaking’ indications. The system can help the driver to maintain a legal speed, obey local traffic instructions, or urban restrictions.
The system recognizes and interprets various traffic signs, both fixed signs on the road side and variable LED signs overhead, using vision-only information and therefore signs which may be obscured by other vehicles or trees may not be recognized.
Mobileye's TSR is currently available from 2008 on the BMW 7 Series as a vision and Satellite Navigation fusion system, together with Mobileyes Lane Departure Warning and Intelligent Headlight Control functions. Additionally it is in series development for multiple other vehicle makers globally for a range of vehicles with a multiple functions bundles as both vision-Satellite Navigation fusion and vision only systems.
Mobileye has developed a Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) algorithm based on its core competence in vehicle and pedestrian detection. The algorithm shares the attention, classification and tracking framework of those other modules and uses the robust classifiers developed in those applications, trained on different examples.
The system recognizes and interprets various traffic signs using vision-only information. The Mobileye TSR detects virtually all of the signs that are visible to the driver. The system uses camera based object recognition and can be developed to compare the data with those coming from digital maps of a navigation system and traffic services. This will offer additional system robustness, especially in cases where the vision system cannot provide the needed information, such entering urban areas which are not marked by traffic signs.
The vision based system has an additional advantage of being able to support navigation systems with overhead variable signs that a satellite based system will not have real-time updates of.
Mobileye is also currently developing vision-only TSR for launch in the timeframe of 2011 that will provide a route for TSR to be implemented in other vehicle segments where integrated Satellite Navigation is not chosen as vehicle option.
TSR recognises speed limits in a variety of environmental conditions and also context signs such as, ie ‘bei Nasse’. TSR will be able to recognise country specific signs - which will be implemented as required as part of series development projects.
It should be noted that the current TSR system is trained for detection of all Vienna Convention compliant signs. Mobileye is working towards the detection of US speed signs as part of series development projects.
Scenarios and performance:
With a VGA resolution imager the system can provide reliable detection for targets with a lateral distance of 10 m, a vertical distance of 7m and at vehicle speeds of up to 250kph. This provides the current system with a very high performance even in challenging high speed situations on multi lane highways.
View TSR Video
