Autonomous tracking of vehicle rear lights and detection of brakes and turn signals

Abstract

Automatic detection of vehicle alert signals is extremely critical in autonomous vehicle applications and collision avoidance systems, as these detection systems can help in the prevention of deadly and costly accidents. In this paper, we present a novel and lightweight algorithm that uses a Kalman filter and a codebook to achieve a high level of robustness. The algorithm is able to detect braking and turning signals of the vehicle in front both during the daytime and at night (daytime detection being a major advantage over current research), as well as correctly track a vehicle despite changing lanes or encountering periods of no or low-visibility of the vehicle in front. We demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to detect the signals accurately and reliably under different lighting conditions.