Autonomous Brake Light Communication Phil Osteen Robot Name: Traffic Flobot EML 5666C, IMDL November 25, 2008
Jan 20, 2016
Autonomous Brake Light Communication
Phil Osteen
Robot Name: Traffic Flobot
EML 5666C, IMDL
November 25, 2008
Outline
• Motivation– Practical theory behind the project– Ideal implementation
• Project Description– Impractical implementation of theory– Logical Diagram, description– Sensor package
• Conclusion
Motivation
• Dangerous high traffic driving scenarios– High Speed driving, Driving at night, Driving
on wet road– Depending on driver, brake lights mean
• A) Get ready to slow down• B) Stop!
• Possible Solution– Automate “brake light” system to detect brake
lights ahead of vehicle and apply brake lights– Basic form of vehicle communication
Traffic Flobot Project
• Drives autonomously until object is detected– Classifies object as a vehicle or an obstacle– Driving vehicle emits blue light– Stopping vehicle emits red brake light
• If lead vehicle is stopping, robot waits behind it– If lead starts driving again, robot follows– If not, timeout causes passing behavior
Stop Behind Vehicle
Pass Obstacle
Independent Navigation
Vehicle?
Object Detected
YN
N Y
Pass
Moving?
Follow Vehicle
Brake Lights Detected
Timeout
Vehicle Motion Detected
Moving/Stopping LED Array
Component Setup – LCD– 3 Servo Motors– CMU Cam– 2 Sonars– 2 Infrared
detectors– Infrared
emitters/Red LED Array (not shown)
Sensor Package
• Lead vehicle – Red LED brake light array– Blue LED drive light array
• Follow vehicle – 2 synchronized LV-MaxSonar EZ1 sonars
• Obstacle Detection/Avoidance
– CMU camera• Vehicle recognition• Stopping, moving classification
Conclusion
• Vehicle communication can be achieved using LED arrays and cameras
• Camera detection and following is possible in controlled environment– But not robust in natural environments
• Intelligent and functional robot cannot be built for less than $150
Future Work
• Use other sensor for brake light detection– IR detector possibly less sensitive to
environment
• Use DC motors to drive vehicle– Servos work, but are slow
• Try to apply practical theory in a more practical way– Test outside, on a larger scale
Questions?
• http://plaza.ufl.edu/prosteen/IMDL/IMDL.htm