Estimation of moving vehicle locations using wheel shape information in single 2-D lateral vehicle images by 3-D computer vision techniques

An approach to the estimation of moving lateral vehicle locations for driving assistance using wheel shape information in single 2-D vehicle images by 3-D computer vision techniques is proposed. The location scheme is supposed to be performed on a vehicle with a camera mounted on the front bumper. An analytical solution is applied to estimate locations of the lateral vehicle. Firstly, the rear wheel shape of a lateral vehicle moving in a nearby lane is imaged. By using the Hough transform, the projected wheel shape, which is an ellipse, is detected. Secondly, the equation of the detected ellipse is used to infer the orientation angle of the lateral vehicle with respect to the camera view direction. Finally, the center of the ellipse shape is used to determine the relative position of the lateral vehicle with respect to the camera lens center. Moreover, an edge-point verification algorithm is utilized to extract the ellipse shape more precisely in the image processing stage. Both computer simulated and real images are tested and good experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for estimating lateral vehicle locations. The results are useful for driving assistance and vehicle collision avoidance and are discussed in detail.