Opel Cars can see: Opel Eye camera reads signs, improves safety
24 June 2008
Mumbai: General Motors owned Opel cars will soon be equipped with a new two-in-one camera with advanced technology that aids drivers to improve driving safety, reduce stress and can even prevent costly speeding tickets.
The traffic sign recognition function would read speed limit and no-passing signs and displays them on the instrument panel, while the lane departure warning will alert drivers when they unintentionally cut out of their lane.
Known as the Opel Eye, the wide-angle, high-resolution camera and processors were jointly developed by GM and Opel engineers in Rüsselsheim and specialists from supplier Hella. The camera, located between the windshield and the rear-view mirror, detects road signs and lane markings. It is not much bigger than a mobile phone yet can take 30 pictures per second. Two signal processors, with the help of proprietary GM software, filter and read the photos.
The traffic sign detection technology can read speed limit and no-passing signs and even notify drivers when speed restrictions have been lifted. Depending on light conditions, the system can recognise and repeatedly read signs at 100 meters. It starts by focusing on circular patterns then identifies the numbers inside them via contour comparison. If a picture matches an image of a road sign in the car's software, the sign is displayed in the instruments panel.
The system always displays the most relevant information for safe driving, filtering out many signs that may overwhelm drivers. If two signs are recognised in close proximity to one another, then special notice signs, like ''no passing'' restriction would take precedence over a speed limit sign.
The notices are displayed for a few seconds as a symbol in the center of the instrument panel between the main round dials. In addition, drivers can recall the image any time by pressing a button on the steering wheel. Traffic Sign Detection can be activated via a sub-page in the car's onboard computer menu.
