NEWS & TECHNOLOGY AUTOMOTIVE
Satellite cameras provide more visibility
around the car
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
Automotive technology company Continental has bundled
previously separately operating cameras distributed in
the vehicle to form a complete system: Multiple so-called
satellite cameras deliver precise image data that are processed
and evaluated by a central control unit. This modular system
enables numerous new functions to support driving comfort and
automation.
An application example of an intelligently
networked camera system
is the “transparent bonnet” function.
This function went into series
production for the first time at the
end of 2018 in an SUV of a European
automobile manufacturer (presumably
Jaguar Land Rover). When driving
slowly - for example when parking or
off-roading - the screen in the vehicle
shows the surface beneath the engine
compartment. With the help of the
optical information, a vehicle can
be precisely manoeuvred in narrow
parking spaces with high kerbstones,
over road thresholds or over rocks
and furrows when driving off-road. The driver gets the impression
that the bonnet and the engine compartment underneath
are transparent.
The image of the terrain below the vehicle is provided by the
satellite cameras already installed
in many vehicles today, which are
located at the front of the radiator
grille, at the rear and one each in the
foot of the side mirrors. However, the
cameras themselves cannot display
the area under the vehicle. An image
processing algorithm developed
by Continental that takes various
vehicle sensor data into account
reconstructs the image below the
vehicle and inserts this image into
the panoramic view displayed to the
driver.
The “transparent bonnet” is a
further extension of what experts
call “human vision” systems, which
are based on camera displays and support the driver. Basically,
this extends the Surround View system to include a view under
the car. “We are now combining this ‘Human Vision’ with the
so-called ‘Computer Vision’. This term encompasses all camera
assistance systems that go beyond mere display to provide a
warning or intervention function such as accelerating, steering
and braking,” says Sascha Semmler, Head of Camera Program
Management at Continental.
Computer vision systems include intelligent front cameras
that not only detect traffic signs, traffic lights, lanes or obstacles,
Smart video stitching algorithms make the bonnet
appear transparent - a potential benefit in rough terrain
and when parking in confined spaces. © Continental
but can also recognize and evaluate them. The driver
then receives the appropriate acoustic, visual or haptic information
and warnings - for example, if the car threatens to leave
its lane. The camera can also be used as an emergency brake
assistant: If the system detects another road user in front of the
vehicle, it automatically initiates emergency braking in order to
avoid a collision as far as possible. Continental expert Semmler
announces that this intelligence will no longer be linked to the
front camera alone, but to several satellite cameras. The system
will implement functions that automatically
brake the vehicle even when
reversing, for example if it comes too
close to a person behind the car.
If all four satellite cameras, which
in any case permanently record the
car’s surroundings, are connected to
a central control unit that can evaluate
the image information and trigger
the corresponding functions, remote
or valet parking functions can also be
implemented. The driver can then get
out, and the vehicle finds its way into
the gap by itself at the push of a button
and parks in and out again.
Parking is a good example of how
Continental’s new satellite camera system has a modular design
and is scalable in terms of performance and functionality. From
the purely optical support of the driver by means of a 360° allround
image of the vehicle environment to automated parking
to a completely autonomous parking
process after the driver has already
left the vehicle, all stages of parking
support can be implemented by the
system.
Currently, satellite cameras with
an image resolution of 1.3 megapixels
are being installed on the
car, a new camera generation with
a resolution of 2.5 megapixels and
distinctive night vision features is
about to start series production. And
for future applications, Continental
is already developing a camera with
8 megapixel resolution as the next
expansion stage. With these highend
cameras, it will be possible in
the future to replace the classic rear-view mirrors and interior
mirrors. They not only deliver a sharp image, but also the necessary
data to detect a motorcyclist approaching quickly from
behind early and precisely, even in difficult lighting conditions.
In such a case, the system could warn the driver or prevent the
vehicle from changing lanes as planned.
Networked satellite cameras not only depict reality, they also
evaluate the optical information in combination with a central
control unit and support an appropriate response. Not only the
camera technology is decisive, but also the central computer
unit Assisted & Automated Driving Control Unit (ADCU) in combination
with the appropriate software.
12 News January 2020 @eeNewsEurope www.eenewseurope.com
/eenewseurope
/www.eenewseurope.com
