Dieter Hoetzer

Pedestrian detection in near-infrared night vision system

Several premium automotive brands offer night vision systems to enhance the drivers ability to see at night. Most recent generation night vision systems have added pedestrian detection as a feature to assist drivers to avoid potential collisions. This paper reviews pedestrian detection based on two different sensing technologies: active night vision operating in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and passive night vision operating in the far-infrared (FIR) spectrum. It also discusses the pros and cons of each type of night-vision system with-respect-to the pedestrian detection capability, the effectiveness for collision avoidance, and the commercial attractiveness. The paper introduces an enhancement to the NIR active lighting scheme that significantly improves the pedestrian detection performance. With improved pedestrian detection performance, we argue that the NIR night vision system is more effective at improving night-time driving safety and may achieve broader market acceptance.