Vision-Based Wet Road Detection Using Tire Side Splash
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle systems rely on detecting wheel slip or introducing excitations to determine precipitation on the road, which can lead to delayed detection and increased risk of vehicle instability due to reduced traction on wet surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A vision-based imaging system that captures images of tire side splash using a polarized image and edge filtering, followed by binary conversion and correlation analysis to identify the presence of water without requiring vehicle excitations, allowing for real-time detection of wet road surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wheel slip detection is used to determine precipitation on the road, then the system can detect wet conditions, but the detection is delayed until wheel slip occurs causing vehicle instability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of water on the road surface by analyzing tire side splash in images captured by exterior cameras, before wheel slip occurs. This allows the system to identify wet conditions in advance and trigger preventive measures, eliminating the detection delay inherent in wheel slip-based methods.
2Measurement precision
If excitations are introduced to the vehicle to determine precipitation presence, then the system can detect wet conditions, but the vehicle operation is disrupted and detection accuracy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's existing motion and tire rotation to generate natural side splash that is captured by exterior cameras. No additional excitations or disruptions to vehicle operation are required. The system serves itself by utilizing normal driving conditions to obtain detection data.
3Reliability
If wheel slip excitation is generated to invoke precipitation detection, then the system can determine wet conditions, but vehicle control precision is reduced and safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical excitation methods (wheel slip induction through vehicle control maneuvers) with an optical detection system using exterior cameras to capture tire side splash. This substitution eliminates the need to disrupt vehicle control precision while achieving reliable wet condition detection through image analysis.
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
Enables immediate and accurate detection of wet road conditions without driver or vehicle excitation, enabling proactive control measures to maintain traction and safety, such as adjusting speed, applying gentle braking, or deactivating cruise control.
Implementation Method 1
An image is captured of a road surface by an image capture device of the host vehicle
Implementation Method 2
The technique preferably captures an image that includes water splash in various directions. The technique utilizes a polarized image of the captured scene
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining a wet surface condition of a road. An image of a road surface is captured by an image capture device of the host vehicle. The image capture device is mounted on a side of the host vehicle and captures an image in a downward direction. Identifying in the captured image, by a processor, a region of interest. The region of interest is in a region sideways to a face of the wheel. The region of interest is representative of where sideways splash as generated by the wheel occurs. A determination is made whether water is present in the region of interest. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of water in the region of interest.