Vehicle Speed Measurement Using Stereo Cameras and Triangulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining vehicle speed in traffic require separate cameras, are costly, and/or emit radiation, making them inefficient and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A camera-based method using two inclined image sensors captures images at different times, identifies and matches features, applies epipolar geometry and triangulation to determine vehicle speed, discarding inconsistent features and using RANSAC for consistency checks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If active measurement methods (radar, lidar, laser) are used to determine vehicle speed, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces active electromagnetic radiation-based measurement systems (radar, lidar, laser) with a passive optical camera system. Instead of emitting radiation and measuring reflections or phase shifts, the system uses standard image sensors to capture images and determines speed through image processing techniques including feature detection, epipolar geometry, and triangulation. This substitution eliminates the need for high-energy radiation emission while maintaining speed measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual 3D representation of the scene by capturing multiple images from different perspectives and processing them through computer vision algorithms. Instead of directly measuring speed through electromagnetic radiation interaction with the vehicle, the system copies the visual appearance of the vehicle across multiple images and reconstructs its motion through image sequence analysis, thereby avoiding direct energy emission.
2Measurement precision
If active measurement methods (radar, lidar, laser) are used to determine vehicle speed, then measurement precision is improved, but acquisition costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs standard, inexpensive image sensors and off-the-shelf camera components instead of expensive specialized radar, lidar, or laser devices. The system uses conventional image processing algorithms and computational geometry to achieve speed measurement functionality that would otherwise require costly hardware. This approach significantly reduces acquisition costs while maintaining measurement precision through sophisticated software-based processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive active electromagnetic radiation measurement systems with a passive optical camera system that uses standard imaging components. By substituting the need for high-cost radar, lidar, or laser equipment with conventional cameras and image processing techniques, the system achieves cost-effective speed measurement without sacrificing measurement quality.
3Measurement precision
If separate cameras are used to record vehicle data, then measurement capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera system multi-functional by using a single camera unit to perform both image capture and speed measurement tasks. Instead of requiring separate dedicated cameras for different measurement functions, the system uses one camera to capture images that are then processed through multiple computational algorithms (feature detection, epipolar geometry, triangulation) to derive speed information. This integration reduces the number of separate devices needed while maintaining comprehensive measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces multiple separate physical measurement devices with a single camera system that uses computational methods to achieve measurement functionality. By substituting mechanical/multiple-device approaches with a single optical capture device and software-based processing, the system reduces device complexity while maintaining or improving measurement capabilities through algorithmic analysis of image sequences.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method provides precise, cost-effective speed determination without structural measures, reducing error susceptibility and computational load.
Implementation Method 1
capturing a first image at a first point in time using a first image sensor and capturing a second image at the first point in time using a second image sensor
Implementation Method 2
comparing the corresponding features in the images captured by the first image sensor with the features in the images captured by the second image sensor with regard to their epipolar geometry
Implementation Method 3
determining the spatial position of the features using a triangulation method
Data Source
AI summary
The method for the camera-based determining of the speed of a vehicle includes the following method steps ofcreating a first, second, third and fourth image capture;identifying features in the individual image captures;checking for consistency of the individual features;discarding the inconsistent features,determining the spatial position of the features using a triangulation method;determining a speed vector for each feature;determining the speed for each feature from the speed vector determined for the corresponding feature and the difference between the first time and the second time; anddetermining an average speed of the vehicle by averaging the determined speeds for each feature.