Abstract
Keywords: Traffic Safety, Active Safety Sensor Based Systems, Blind Spot Warning, Ultrasonic Range Finder, Video
This paper is a research project report in traffic safety conducted at the School of Aerospace, Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering RMIT University. The main project objective was to find and suggest efficient, cost effective solutions for the blind spot warning applications. There were two major research questions to consider. The first query was regarding the data acquisition method, i.e. how to detect a vehicle in the blind spot. Once that information is obtained, the next step is to determine how the Intelligent Vehicle (IV) should utilize this data. Various systems' solutions have been put forth and are described in the literature, while some of them are already used in practice. These solutions perform detection and distance measurements using different sensor technologies. Prices of the sensing devices and processing power costs have fallen in the recent years, however these systems are now gradually implemented only in selected vehicles. Therefore, considering the necessity of these technologies, this project investigated different sensor solutions, including radar based systems, ultrasonic, infrared and video. The optimal methods of notification were also analysed. For example, a warning sign can be presented on the side mirror, however other solutions were considered including sound alarm and control takeover. This technology should be widely implemented and become a standard. The project also offers solutions for the vehicles already on the road.