16btmech046.docx

Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering by GULAM QADIR 16BTMECH046

Department of Mechanical Engineering Vaugh Institute of Agriculture, Engineering and Technology

SAM HIGGINBOTTOM UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES. Prayagraj (Allahabad), 2019

Acknowledgement

I, Gulam Qadir of B.tech mechanical engineering of 6th semester here acknowledge the fact that if my seminar instructor had not guided me in the topic then I would not have been so successful in the competition of this project on ‘Night vision technology in Automobiles’. I also than my parents and friends for the continuous and help provided to me in the making of this project.

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Table of content 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Basic terms and definition 2. LATERAL SURVEY 2.1 History 2.2 Types of night vision technology 2.3 Recent and future development 3. APPLICATION 3.1 Mercedes-Benzes 3.2 Toyota 3.3 Audi 3.4 BMW 3.5 Cadillac 3.6 Honda 3.7 Ds automotive 4. Advantages of night vision technology 5. Disadvantages of night vision technology 6. Conclusion and future scope

7. References

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Abstract First generation Night Vision Enhancement Systems with image presentation in the dashboard have been introduced on the market some years ago [1]. Far Infrared and Near Infrared systems are currently competing technologies. The systems present a Camera-picture in the dashboard, in the centre console area or on the windscreen. While Japanese systems prefer to present the camera picture via Head-up Display (HUD) in the windscreen, European car-makers prefer the presentation in the dashboard region with a graphic LCD screen. Ergonomic investigations have shown that the reconfigurable LC display located in the instrument cluster was found to meet best the requirements of a quick and distraction-free reading. A precondition for a quick recognition and identification of relevant obstacles is a high-contrast and brilliant picture quality. Meanwhile, the next generation has been introduced on the market in 2009. Due to technical progress in picture processing this 2nd generation makes an object classification for pedestrians and cyclists and warns the driver. The third generation will use a contact analogue HUD to warn the driver with icons projected Onto the wind screen. With many applications illuminators aren't necessary. Some manufacturers put IR illuminators on their products in order to get acceptable performance under low light conditions. Signal-to-noise plays a key role in night vision performance. A micro channel plate used to transfer a signal from input to output. Just as high-end stereo equipment gives you quality sound. Resolution is the third major consideration when purchasing night vision. This is the ability to resolve detail in your image. Some manufacturers put magnified optics in their systems to give the illusion that they have high resolving systems. In the trade-off, field of view is sacrificed. Some models give the option of higher magnification so you can have it if you want it, not because your system needs it to function effectively. Most of Moro vision’s products offer a uniquely formulated phosphor to create the highest contrasting images, therefore generating the highest resolution products available to the consumer. There are advantages and disadvantages with night vision devices. I will go through both of these area and will lean towards more advantages than disadvantages. Just having the ability to see in the dark is the biggest advantage point of all.

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Safety and security of life are the two most booming words in the field of transport and manufacturing. The world has emerged from being a just simple form of day to day life to being aeon of mean and daring machines. Thus the safety of the people both inside and outside the vehicle is of prime concern in the car manufacturing industry and scientists are working day in and day out to ensure more and more complex forms of security for the human kind. After dark, your chances of being in a fatal vehicle crash go up sharply, though the traffic is way down. Inadequate illumination is one of the major factors in all the car crashes that occur between midnight and 6 a.m. Headlights provide about 50 meters of visibility on a dark road, but it takes nearly 110 meters to come to a full stop from 100 km/hr. At that speed, you may not respond fast enough to an unexpected event, simply because the bright spot provided by your headlights doesn't give you enough time. Thus emerged the night vision systems that use infrared sensors to let driver see as much as 3 or 4 times farther ahead and help them quickly distinguish among objects.

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Introduction

The probability for an accident at night is by the factor 4 to 5 higher than at daytime. Accident statistics show, that night vision driver assistance systems have a high potential for reducing accidents and fatalities by collision avoidance and collision mitigation means. Night Vision Systems based on Near-Infrared Radiation (NIR) or Far-Infrared Radiation (FIR) can be used to enhance driver’s perception at night. The system must be an optimal vision aid allowing him to drive like cruising with high beam on without blinding oncoming traffic. Special emphasis has to be put on a careful design of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) to avoid distraction by the system. For a quick and distraction-free reading of the image presented to the driver the picture must allow a quick interpretation of the presented information by the driver. The display must be positioned in an ergonomically favourable position in the vicinity of the primary field of vision of the driver without distracting him longer, than necessary from the traffic.

The streets of yesterday has turned to be monstrous night mare for the public with demon like vehicle that swift past the roads at very high speeds and the case gets worst in the night with drunken drivers ruling the road with high stake speeds. The reckless accidents that occur on roads during night times mainly owe to the poor visibility and make the drivers rather than driving ahead, predict their way ahead. But this is not just the case of drunken drivers but also sensible drivers who find very bad visibility during the wee hours of morning or the odd evenings Thus comes the use of night vision systems which uses infra-red sensors or headlights to provide a clear view of the road ahead and in the coming sections we shall discuss about the detailed working of the night vision systems Challenges of Night Driving 6

According to the National Safety Council, traffic death rates are up to three times greater at night than during the day. Highway maintenance vehicles, such as bulldozers, often move slowly on or next to the road. They are usually painted orange. Be prepared to slow down or stop for them. When you see orange equipment on the road, people on foot are often working nearby. One or more lanes may be closed when roadwork is going on. Orange signs warn you that you must be prepared for people and slow moving equipment on the road. Signs will tell you which lanes are closed. A line of orange cones will show you the closed lane. Do not cross the line of cones. Sometimes a flashing arrow will tell you to move left or right. Make your lane change early and safely. Don't stop to watch roadwork. Always obey special signs and instructions as you pass. NOTE: fines are doubled for certain violations committed in highway construction or maintenance zones. Driving at night is more dangerous because 90% of a driver’s reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. (Depth perception, colour recognition, and peripheral vision are limited at night.) Make sure you can stop within the distance lighted by your headlights. Glare can also reduce visibility. Another factor adding danger to night driving is fatigue, which makes driving more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time.

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It is more difficult to judge other vehicles' speeds and distances at night. Do not overdrive your headlights. Otherwise, you are creating a blind collision area in front of your vehicle.

When following another vehicle, keep your low-beams on to avoid blinding the driver ahead of you.

If you have car trouble at night, pull off the road as far as possible and turn on your hazard lights.

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Use your high-beam lights when driving in rural areas and on open highways away from urban and metropolitan areas. When leaving a brightly lit place, drive slowly until your eyes adjust to the darkness.

If you are driving with your high-beam lights on, you must dim them at least 500 ft from any oncoming vehicle, so you don't blind the oncoming driver. You must use low-beam lights if you are within 200-300 ft of the vehicle you are following. Consult your state's Drivers Handbook for details.

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If an approaching car is using its high-beams, don't look directly into the oncoming headlights—look toward the right edge of your lane. Watch the oncoming car out of the corner of your eye. Do not try retaliating against the other driver by keeping your high-beam lights on. If you do, both of you may be blinded. Before going into the night vision systems it is necessary to understand something about li^it and the electromagnetic spectrum. Humans are visible only to the rays felling under the visible region of electromagnetic spectrum and are invisible to both the infra-red as well as the ultra violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. But night vision technology makes it possible for the humans to view the rays felling in the infra-red region of the electromagnetic spectrum, that is generally the night vision systems used in automobiles captures the infra-red image of distant obstacles on road as every object emits infra-red rays (heat rays) even during night. This image is viewed in a screen and the driver can thus apply the brakes as required.

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Lateral survey of night vision technology

An Automobile night vision system uses a thermo graphic camera to increase a driver's perception and seeing distance in darkness or poor weather beyond the reach of the vehicle's headlights. Such systems are offered as optional equipment on certain premium vehicles. The technology was first introduced in the year 2000 on the Cadillac Deville .This technology is based on the night vision devices (NVD), which generally denotes any electronically enhanced optical devices operate in three modes: image enhancement, thermal imaging, and active illumination. The automotive night vision system is a combination of NVDs such as infrared cameras, GPS, Lidar, and Radar, among others to sense and detect objects. 11

There are two types of systems, either passive or active systems, both have advantages and disadvantages when compared to the other. The passive system pertains to the technologies that detect thermal radiation emitted by humans, animals, and other objects in the road while the active systems illuminate objects as a significant distance ahead using infrared light source. 1. Active system : Active systems use an infrared light source built into the car to illuminate the road ahead with light that is invisible to humans. There are two kinds of active systems: gated and non-gated. The gated system uses a pulsed light source and a synchronized camera that enable long ranges (250m) and high performance in rain and snow. Near Infrared wavelength is 0.75–1.4 µm is smaller and can pass between the typical fog particles. Fog particles sizes are typically 10 to 15 microns and ranges is sizes from 1 to 100 microns. Far infrared has a wavelength of 15 micrometres (µm) to 1 mm. During night-time operations, police officers with range gated near infrared cameras can read license plates at a distance of up to 1.2 km. Near Infrared (NIR) cameras are available to see 50km through fog, haze, smoke, rain. 

Advantage: Higher resolution image, superior picture of inanimate objects, works better in warmer conditions, smaller sensor can be mounted to rear-view mirror.



Disadvantage : does not work as well in fog or rain, lower contrast for animals, shorter range of 150–200 meters or 500–650 feet

2. Passive systems: Passive infrared systems do not use an infrared light source, instead they capture thermal radiation already emitted by the objects, using a thermo graphic camera. Advantage: greater range of about 300 meters or 1,000 feet, higher contrast for living objects. Disadvantage: grainy, lower resolution image, works poorly in warmer weather conditions, larger sensors. 12



Thermo graphic camera : A thermo graphic camera (also called an infrared camera or thermal imaging camera or infrared thermography) is a device that forms a heat zone image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible light. Instead of the 400–700 nanometre range of the visible light camera, infrared cameras operate in wavelengths as long as 14,000 nm (14 µm). Their use is called thermography.



Far infrared :

Far infrared (FIR) is a region in the infrared spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Far infrared is often defined as any radiation with a wavelength of 15 micrometres (µm) to 1 mm (corresponding to a range of about 20 THz to 300 GHz), which places far infrared radiation within the CIE IR-B and IR-C bands. Different sources use different boundaries for the far infrared spectrum; for example, astronomers sometimes define far infrared as wavelengths between 25 µm and 350 µm. Visible light includes radiation with wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm, meaning that far infrared photons have less energy than visible light photons.



Infrared radiation :

Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with longer wavelengths than those of visible light, and is therefore generally invisible to the human eye, although IR at wavelengths up to 1050 nanometres (nm)s from specially pulsed lasers can be seen by humans under certain conditions. IR wavelengths extend from the nominal red edge of the visible spectrum at 700 nanometres (frequency 430 THz), to 1 millimetre (300 GHz). Most of the thermal radiation emitted by objects near room temperature is infrared. As with all EMR,

IR

carries radiant

energy and

behaves both like

a wave and

like

its quantum particle, the photon. Infrared radiation was discovered in 1800 by astronomer Sir William Herschel, who discovered a type of invisible radiation in the spectrum lower in energy than red light, 13

by means of its effect on a thermometer. Slightly more than half of the total energy from the Sun was eventually found to arrive on Earth in the form of infrared. The balance between absorbed and emitted infrared radiation has a critical effect on Earth's climate. Infrared radiation is emitted or absorbed by molecules when they change their rotational-vibrational movements.

It

excites vibrational modes

in

a molecule through a change in the dipole moment, making it a useful frequency range for study of these energy states for molecules of the proper symmetry. Infrared spectroscopy examines absorption and transmission of photons in the infrared range. Infrared radiation is used in industrial, scientific, military, law enforcement, and medical applications. Night-vision devices using active near-infrared illumination allow people or animals to be observed without the observer being detected. Infrared astronomy uses sensor-equipped telescopes to penetrate dusty regions of space such as molecular clouds, detect objects such as planets, and to view highly red-shifted objects from the early days of the universe. Infrared thermal-imaging cameras are used to detect heat loss in insulated systems, to observe changing blood flow in the skin, and to detect overheating of electrical apparatus. Extensive

uses

for

military

and

civilian

applications

include target

acquisition, surveillance, vision, homing, and tracking. Humans at normal body temperature radiate chiefly at wavelengths around 10 μm (micrometres). Non-military uses include thermal efficiency analysis, environmental monitoring, industrial facility inspections, detection of grow-ops, remote temperature sensing, short-range wireless communication, spectroscopy, and weather forecasting.

 It

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS): is

a spectroscopic method

that

uses

the near-infrared region

of

the electromagnetic (from 780 nm to 2500 nm). Typical applications include medical and

physiological

oximetry, functional

diagnostics

and

research

neuroimaging,

sports

including blood medicine,

training, ergonomics, rehabilitation, neonatal research, brain

sugar, pulse

elite

sports computer

interface, urology (bladder contraction), and neurology (neurovascular coupling). There are also applications in other areas as well such as pharmaceutical, food and 14

agrochemical quality control, atmospheric chemistry, combustion research and astronomy

Near-IR

absorption

spectrum

of dichloromethane showing

complicated

overlapping overtones of mid IR absorption features.

 Night

Night vision vision is

the

ability

to

see

in

low-light

conditions.

Whether

by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vision compared to many animals, in part because the human eye lacks a tapetum lucidum. 

Pedestrian detection :

Pedestrian detection is an essential and significant task in any intelligent video system, as

it

provides

the

fundamental

information

for semantic understanding

of

the video footages. It has an obvious extension to automotive applications due to the potential for improving safety systems. Many car manufacturers (e.g. Volvo, Ford, GM, and Nissan) offer this as an ADAS option in 2017.



Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) :

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ADAS are systems to help the driver in the driving process. When designed with a safe human-machine interface, they should increase car safety and more generally road safety. Most road accidents occurred due to the human error. Advanced driver-assistance systems are systems developed to automate, adapt and enhance vehicle systems for safety and better driving. The automated system which is provided by ADAS to the vehicle is proven to reduce road fatalities, by minimizing the human error. Safety features are designed to avoid collisions and accidents by offering technologies that alert the driver to potential problems, or to avoid collisions by implementing safeguards and taking over control of the vehicle. Adaptive features may automate

lighting,

provide adaptive

cruise

control and collision avoidance, pedestrian crash avoidance

mitigation (PCAM),

incorporate

satnav/traffic warnings, connect to smartphones, alert driver to other cars or dangers, lane departure warning system, automatic lane centring, or show what is in blind spots. There are two technical variants of night-vision enhancement systems on the market: 1. Far-Infrared system (FIR) FIR night-vision enhancement systems receive thermal radiation emitted by objects in the far infrared wavelength range between 7 and 12 µm. These so-called passive systems do not require any additional source of radiation to illuminate the objects. The picture of the camera can be processed by an ECU for picture quality improvement and is then presented by a graphic display to the driver.

In the image of a thermal camera warm objects appear as bright contours against the dark (colder) background while cold objects are displayed dark. Only objects having a higher temperature than the ambient are detected by the camera. The most striking feature of the FIR image is the wide reach of the system. Pedestrians and other objects can be detected 16

at ranges of 300m and more. Lane markings and traffic signs, however, can be seen only vaguely if they have adapted their temperature to the ambient air. Fig. Shows an image of a FIR camera. This way of presenting the image appears rather unusual to most of the drivers because it does not correspond to a normal reflected echo-return picture. Another drawback is the fact that objects are displayed rich in contrast at

Fig. : Image of a FIR

camera. Low outside temperatures but only vaguely in a warm environment.

2. Near-Infrared system (NIR) Near-infrared systems use radiation in the spectral range between 800 nm and 1,000 nm. As objects do not emit any radiation in this range of wavelengths, objects in front of the vehicle must be illuminated. The reflections are collected by an infrared-sensitive video camera it consists of two Halogen illumination modules, the camera, an ECU for picture quality improvement and a HMI. Silicon image sensors are sensitive in the mentioned wavelength range. As the upper limit of the sensitivity of these sensors is 1,100 nm, they can hence be implemented in day-time applications as well. The camera module is mounted on the windscreen, usually in the region behind the interior mirror (from drivers view). Halogen Headlights, being commonly used for the automobiles high and low beam, possess a high infrared share with the maximum in the range between 900 and 1,000 nm. In practical Applications light modules consisting of a halogen headlamp with an externally mounted optical filter for the visible spectrum, are integrated into the front headlights. Fig. shows the image of the NIR system.

The image clearly shows that only those objects being illuminated by the IR headlamps are visible. As the NIR spectrum is close to the visible spectrum, natural objects reflect NIR Fig.: Image produced by an NIR system Similarly to visible light. Hence the image appears as familiar to the driver as a blackand-white TV picture bearing a high resemblance to the normal viewing impression at

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high beam. Furthermore, lane markings are clearly visible. One drawback may result in the poor visibility of pedestrians with dark clothing.

HMI for Night Vision systems The human machine interface (HMI) plays a major role with this kind of system, because it directly shows the benefit of the system to the driver. In principle, there are three different display zones characterized by differing requirements as regards the performance of the relevant display medium. These three communication centres in the vehicle are:  The windshield. The information can be seen without the driver having to take his eyes off the road and without the need for visual accommodation. At a first glance this location seems to be ideal for night vision information.  The instrument cluster for information being relevant to the driver. It is located outside the driver’s primary field of view.  The centre console for lesser important information for driver and passengers.

Where should be shown what kind of information?  Information, to which the driver must respond, should be displayed within or close to the primary field of view (HUD or Instrument cluster).  Status information or operator dialog in the form of prompts, may be displayed in the operator-control unit in the centre console. These multifunctional displays must be structured taking into consideration the regularities of human perception [8].  Information aimed at entertaining should be kept away from the primary field of view. The best compromise between a quick and precise perception of the Night Vision information and a possible distraction must be found. The distraction must be minimal.

Recent and Future Developments: Meanwhile, the second generation of night vision systems has been developed and is being introduced in the market during the year 2009. These systems do not only show a picture to the driver but they have the feature to detect, and to classify objects (to a certain extent) and to warn him in hazardous situations. After tracking a detected object 18

a contour matching step is performed. The head and shoulder part of a human is very characteristic, allowing a reliable classification of pedestrians and bikers.

In a first step a warning symbol is shown on the display. This makes it easier for the driver to detect relevant information within the picture. The warning symbol is in the upper right corner of the picture close to the detected pedestrian. The multifunction graphic display of the E-Class is located in the centre console region. The third generation will allow the realization of systems without graphic screen, but warning the driver according to the prevalent situation only in those cases where a relevant object is detected. Insofar a secure detection of lane markings and a reliable course prediction is essential to correlate the position of an object with the course of the own lane. Application of Night vision technology in Automobile

Mercedes-Benz: Night View Assist infrared projector visible next to Bi-Xenon HID main headlight, Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W221 Night View Assist prototype was shown in 2003 on

the Mercedes-Benz

F500 concept.

Series

production Night View Assist system introduced in 2005 on the redesigned Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W221). It was the first system to use the instrument cluster's LCD as a display. In 2009: Night View Assist Plus added a pedestrian detection function calling the revised system on the redesigned Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212) and refreshed Sclass however, the E-class uses the navigation screen's display. In 2011: Night View Assist Plus with Spotlight Function premiere: the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class (C216) became the first series production car with night visionguided pedestrian spotlighting (HID version) can flash at any pedestrians it detects in order to warn both the driver and the pedestrians. The flashing light is directed in such a way that vehicles in front and oncoming traffic are not dazzled. 19

2013: Night View Assist Plus with animal detection on the W222 S-Class.

Toyota: Night View system on the 2003 Lexus LX 470 In

2002

Toyota Night

View was

the

first

worldwide series production active automotive night vision system, introduced on the Toyota Land cruiser Cygnus or Lexus LX470. This system uses the headlight projectors emitting near infrared light aimed like the car's high beam headlights and a CCD camera then captures that reflected radiation, this signal is then processed by computer which produces a black-and-white image which is projected on the lower section of the windshield. In

February

2008

the Toyota

Crown

Hybrid added

a

feature

which

highlights pedestrians and presents them in a box on an LCD display in front of the driver. This was the first pedestrian detection feature for an active system. In 2009 Lexus Night View in Japan, on LS. In 2012 Lexus introduced Night View worldwide, on LS and GS. The Night View system combines a windshield mounted near infra-red camera and near infra-red projectors within the headlamps with a Night View ECU to display an image of the road ahead on centre console display screen. Moving the image from the driver’s instrument display to the centre console offers drivers a larger display and an easier viewing angle. With the camera constantly in operation and the near infra-red projectors activating at speeds over 10 MPH to enhance system efficiency, night view will display an area up to 65 feet in front of the vehicle. Discontinued for 2014 in US.

Audi: Night Vision Assistant infrared camera visible on Audi A8 grill, right circle

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Night Vision Assistant was introduced in 2010 on the Audi A8. It uses a thermal imaging camera behind the four rings at the front of the car which can "see" 300 meters (984 ft.) ahead. The display in the instrument cluster highlights humans with yellow markings. More importantly, the computer can determine if the person on the road moves in a way that could lead to a collision with the car. In that case the pedestrian is being marked in red colour and the driver of the car receives an audible warning. 2013 update added animal detection. and Pedestrian Marker Lights: As soon as a pedestrian is detected by the Night Vision Assistant in a critical range in front of the vehicle, individual Matrix LEDs flash briefly 3 times in succession to alert that person, who is then clearly visible to the driver.

BMW: BMW Night Vision introduced in 2005 on the BMW 7 Series (E65). This system processes far infrared radiation, which minimizes non-essential information placing a greater emphasis on pedestrians and animals, allows for a range of 300 meters or nearly 1,000 feet, and avoids "dazzle" from headlights, road lights and similar intense light sources. 2008 update added pedestrian detection system on the redesigned BMW 7 Series (F01), which flashes a caution symbol on the navigation/information screen and automotive head-up display when it detects pedestrians. 2013 update added Dynamic Light Spot. 2013 update added animal detection. The system provides a real-time video image that also depicts on the Control Display persons, animals and other objects emitting heat when they are outside of the light beam and warns in the event of an impending collision. The Dynamic Light Spot is produced by a special headlight that directs the light beam onto the recognised persons or animals respectively, thus drawing the driver’s attention to possible hazards in good time. As soon as the remote infrared detects pedestrians or larger animals on course for collision in the dark, the system directs two separately controlled Dynamic Light Spots at them without creating an

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unpleasant glare. In the event of an acute risk, an acoustic warning signal is also sounded and the brakes are set to maximum standby. For the model year 2014, the BMW 5 Series will also have these new features.

Cadillac: First worldwide series production automotive night vision on 2000 Cadillac Deville Night Vision, however it was discontinued in 2004. This system was developed with Raytheon and worked by using a passive infrared sensor camera mounted behind the vehicle's grille. Infrared radiation is picked up by the sensor, processed by computer and then displayed on the windshield using a head-up display. Information is displayed as a black-and-white image with warmer objects in white, while cooler objects appear black. Because this system outputs a standard NTSC composite video signal and the used parts are somewhat easy and inexpensive to find, it has become a popular choice for fitting thermal night vision to other vehicles. After a long hiatus, the 2015 flagship Cadillac CT6 was equipped with an improved version of the Enhanced Night Vision, in which the images are displayed and embedded in the instrument panel instead of being displayed as a reflection on the windshield. Honda: In 2004, Honda introduced first worldwide system with pedestrian detection on redesigned Honda Legend Intelligent Night Vision. It detected far infrared radiation. The pedestrian detection feature alerted the driver with an audio warning and visually enclosed the pedestrian in a box on the display which was presented via head-up display. The night vision system uses a separate heads up type display projected on the centre bottom of the windshield. The infrared cameras do not require a light source, and the software is able to detect human like figures, surround the image with a red box and give audible caution tones.

DS Automotive: DS NIGHT VISION offers road visibility by night. An infrared camera in the front grill identifies objects, pedestrians and animals on the road at a distance of up to 100m.A digital instrument cluster shows the driver the area around the car in infrared, with a 22

yellow line around any sources of potential danger. For critical danger, the line becomes red, allowing the driver to react to the situation. DS 7 CROSSBACK is the first DS vehicle to include Night Vision.

Advantages and disadvantages of night vision technology Advantages: 1. Improved vision conditions of dusk and darkness. 2. No dazzling by head lights of the oncoming vehicles. 3. Highlighting of illuminated, heat-emitting objects as pedestrian, cyclists, deer, etc. 4. Better overview of the driving situations. 5. The zoom functions of the object in the far distance at high speeds. 6. Illumination of the bends/curves (pivoting of image details) 7. Illumination of dark courtyard and garage entrances. 8. Superior image quality. 9. Uninterrupted image. 10. Immune to dynamic thermal environment 23

Disadvantages: 1. The objective of the pedestrian warning algorithm is to accurately detect pedestrians and provide the driver with informative warnings. In the eyes of the driver, the end product of the good system provides a timely warning and possibly, additional information such as position of the pedestrians or an overlaid icon on night vision display. 2. Although generic image processing algorithms have been addressing similar goals for many years, there are several problems that are unique to image processing in automotive application. For example, it is difficult to distinguish between objects in the foreground and the background of the image the entire image is continuously changing and because pedestrians vary in scale based on their distance to the viewer. 3. The probability of true warnings (i.e. when the driver is about to hit the pedestrian) is low, as it often is in reality, then the odds of the true alarm, can be quite low even for very sensitive warning systems with very high hit rates and low false alarm rates. 4. Quality cameras often have a high price range. 5. Neck strain and fatigue. 6. Night vision device is very costly. 7. It cannot be properly used in rain and fog as it degrade its performance etc.

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Conclusion and Future scope To put it in a nut shell it has become the need of the hour to have these kinds of hybrid safety systems on the latest automobiles that could save the lives of many. All the automobile giants should divert their R&D work towards such innovative technologies and make this world a safer world to live in. Many such ideas are yet to come and it is the duty of young budding engineers to think innovatively and work upon developing such techniques one of which being the night vision sensors used in cars and other automobiles that are proving to be a great success in the west and this should be implemented immediately on the Indian terrain and reduce the catastrophic incidents that occur on the roads especially during the night times. In the recent past small scale developments have come into play and the world is looking forward for such creations to come into play

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References:

1. https://www.seminarsonly.com/mech%20&%20auto/night-visiontechnology-in-automobiles-seminar-report-ppt.php 2. https://www.slideshare.net/sarangbire/night-vision-system-inautomobiles 3. https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-automotive-night-vision-534824 4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268003642_An_Intelligent_ Night_Vision_System_for_Automobiles 5. https://www.slideshare.net/mihika_shah/night-vision-technology

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