Abstract
Keywords - Infrared, Thermal Imaging, Low Cost, Passenger Safety, Pedestrian Safety
Abstract - Infrared sensors are commonly thought to be inappropriate for use in automotive applications. This is because the single element device offers insufficient functionality and performance and most conventional thermal imaging systems are far too expensive. The flexibility of use coupled with the extensive feature range and exceedingly low cost of the IRISYS 16×16 infrared array products however, is already extending the marketplace for thermal imaging, thermography and thermal detection from the traditional military and professional fields, through industrial, to the commercial and domestic marketplaces. It is becoming clear that there are a number of potential applications for this technology in the automotive sector. The most significant of these at the present time would appear to be pedestrian protection, passenger protection and driver behaviour analysis.
Early trials have demonstrated an ability to detect, locate, classify and track a passenger within a vehicle for intelligent airbag development systems; parallel external developments have demonstrated the ability to provide a potential solution to the pedestrian detection problem where data fusion would appear to be the only way forward.
The cost projections for this technology indicate that there is real potential for incorporating these sensors both inside and outside the vehicle, where there are a wide range of additional applications for the technology, such as intruder detection, activity monitoring and blind-spot detection.
This paper describes the results of a programme to develop a number of prototype sensor systems for use in the automotive field as an aid to both passenger and pedestrian safety.