DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH RESULTS

Transcription

1 REF.: TRANSP_UAH_13 INDUSTRIAL SECTOR RESEARCHER DEPARTMENT CONTACT DETAILS WEB SITE Transport, Transport Infrastructures, Traffic, Security, Road Safety Miguel A. Sotelo Vázquez, David Fernández- Llorca, Ignacio Parra Alonso Química analítica, Quím. Física e Ing. Química miguel.sotelo@uah.es david.fernandezl@uah.es ignacio.parra@uah.es Intelligent Vehicles and Traffic Technologies DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH RESULTS TITLE Artificial vision system for the semaphoric control of the access to parking and garages, through the monitoring of pedestrians. ABSTRACT The research group Intelligent Vehicles and Traffic Technologies of the Automation Department of the University of Alcalá has developed a procedure for the semaphoric control of the access roads to parkings and garages by monitoring pedestrians using artificial vision. It is a road safety system that ensures that the exit access of the vehicles from the parking is performed safely for pedestrians, by monitoring the different access points to the parking, using a stereoscopic vision system with infrared lighting. The images provided by the stereoscopic vision system are processed by a computer, obtaining information regarding the presence of pedestrians in the vicinity of the monitored access point. This information is used to act on a traffic light that controls the exit access of vehicles.

2 The group looks for licensing agreements, technical cooperation agreements, manufacturing agreements or commercial agreements with technical assistance, with companies from the sector of transport infrastructure and traffic safety. DESCRIPTION AND SPECIAL FEATURES The invention relates to a system developed for automatic traffic light control/regulation of the access to parking lots and garages by monitoring pedestrians. This system is characterized by associating a pair of digital cameras that make up a stereoscopic vision system and an infrared lighting system that are placed in a fixed support located at the entry point to a car park or garage, in such a way that it can perceive completely and monitor the access to the parking or garage in question. It also consists of: - An electronic card, based on a small microcontroller, which is responsible for providing synchronization signals to digital cameras so that the images acquired by both cameras, of the stereo system, are perfectly synchronized with each other. - A stereoscopic image processor based on an industrial computer, in which all the necessary functions are performed to control the process of image capture and storage in memory, preprocessing and analysis of images and finally, activation, if necessary, of the signal of activation of the semaphore that regulates the information provided to the drivers of vehicles in the parking. The whole process is regulated by the software implemented in the image processor. - A communication interface between the industrial computer and the traffic light regulator that controls the monitored access to the parking or garage. - A traffic light regulator that controls the access of vehicles through the monitored point of the parking or garage. It is responsible for controlling the activation states of the traffic light. Receiving data asynchronously from the industrial computer through the communication interface. - Semaphore that allows or prohibits vehicles from leaving the parking lot or garage through the monitored access. This equipment is located inside the parking lot, but at the access point to the exit of it. It will show a green activation color when the exit of the parking ramp is free of obstacles and a red activation color when there is a pedestrian that could pose a potential danger. The cameras provide synchronized grayscale images, thanks to the electronic card that allows to guarantee a correct synchronism in the acquisition of images of the stereo system. Said images are stored in the stereoscopic image processor. The industrial computer, which processes and stores the images, must be mounted in an external case properly closed and isolated, but can be easily manipulated during the installation and maintenance phases of the system. This sends control commands through the interface making use of an ETHERNET connection. Finally, the traffic light regulator, which acts on the traffic light that controls vehicle access, provides information to the drivers of the vehicles that perform exit maneuvers from the parking lot or garage through the

3 monitored access. This information is of special importance in cases in which the visibility of the parking exit is limited or null. INNOVATIVE ASPECTS The invention proposes a system for the automatic traffic light regulation of the accesses to parkings and garages by means of the monitoring of pedestrians, whose purpose is to provide additional security in the accesses to these places. The proposed system significantly reduces accidents at access points to car parks and garages, since in a situation of potential danger, in which a pedestrian is crossing the access ramp to a parking lot, the driver of the vehicle performing the maneuver exit of the parking at that time receives information in real time, through the signal lights of the exit light, so you have time to slow down and remain alert to the possible lack of visibility. Nothing similar has been found in patent databases or in the scientific literature consulted. TECHNOLOGY KEYWORDS Semaphoric control, parking, garages, monitoring, pedestrian, artificial vision, digital cameras, stereoscopic, safety, security, transport, transport infrastructures, SCIENTIFIC DOMAINS Information and Communication Technologies Industrial Manufacture, Material and Transport technologies Construction and Infrastructures Energy Physical and Exact Sciences Biological Sciences Agriculture and Marine Resources Agrofood Industry Measurements and standards Environment and risk prevention Socioeconomics

4 CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH RESULT Development phase Developed, available for demonstration Already on the market FUNDING RESEARCH European RTD project National project Regional project Private funding COMMERCIAL ASPECTS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES The proposed invention has the following advantages: - Automatic monitoring of access ramps to car parks and garages. - Reduction of accidents in their access points. - Composed of digital cameras and an industrial computer that allow mass production. - Simple installation in parking garages and garages. High commercial potential at national and international level with moderate cost. CURRENT STATE OF INDUSTRIAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Patent applied Patent granted Software registered Exclusive rights Secret know how Copyright protected

5 COMMENTS Patent granted on August 21, 2012, with publication number ES TYPE OF COLLABORATION SOUGHT Technical cooperation Joint venture agreement Commercial agreement with technical assistance License agreement Manufacturing agreement COMMENTS The group seeks licensing agreements, technical cooperation agreements, manufacturing agreements and commercial agreements with technical assistance with companies in the sector of transport infrastructure and traffic safety. ADDITIONAL FORMATION (PICTURES) Picture 1: General scheme of the invention in which its constituent elements can be observed: digital cameras that make up a stereoscopic vision system (1) and an infrared illumination system (2); (3) electronic card; (4) a stereoscopic image processor based on an industrial computer; (5) a communication interface between the industrial computer and the traffic light regulator that controls the monitored access of the car park or garage; (6) a traffic light regulator that controls vehicle access through the monitored point of the parking lot or garage; (7) semaphore that allows or prohibits vehicles from leaving the parking lot or garage through the monitored access points.

6 OTRI CONTACT DETAILS UNIVERSIDAD DE ALCALÁ-OFICINA DE TRANSFERENCIA DE RESULTADOS DE INVESTIGACIÓN (OTRI) Edifício Politécnico Campus Externo UAH Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) / otriuah@uah.es