Browse Topic: Visibility

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Short-Term Prediction of Highway Visibility Level Based on Attention Mechanism LSTM2025-01-721202/21/2025
To improve the accuracy and reliability of short-term prediction of highway visibility level in key scenarios such as short duration and fast changing speed, this paper proposes a short-term prediction method for highway visibility level based on attention mechanism LSTM. Firstly, XGBoost and SHAP methods are used to analyze the factors affecting highway visibility, determine the importance ranking of different influencing factors, and select the factors that have a greater impact on visibility as inputs for the visibility level prediction model. Secondly, based on LSTM as the model foundation network and innovative coupling attention mechanism, a visibility level prediction model based on attention mechanism LSTM is constructed, which can dynamically update the correlation between meteorological feature information at each historical time point and the visibility level at the current prediction time, thereby dividing the importance of information and flexibly capturing important
Ding, Shanshan, Xiong, Zhuozhi, Huang, Xu, Li, Yurong
Technical Paper
Suction Cup Quality Predication by Digital Image Correlation2023-01-006704/11/2023
Vacuum suction cups are used as transforming handles in stamping lines, which are essential in developing automation and mechanization. However, the vacuum suction cup will crack due to fatigue or long-term operation or installation angle, which directly affects production productivity and safety. The better design will help increase the cups' service life. If the location of stress concentration can be predicted, this can prevent the occurrence of cracks in advance and effectively increase the service life. However, the traditional strain measurement technology cannot meet the requirements of tracking large-field stains and precise point tracking simultaneously in the same area, especially for stacking or narrow parts of the suction cups. The application must allow multiple measurements of hidden component strain information in different fields of view, which would add cost. In this study, a unique multi-camera three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) system was designed
Guo, Bicheng, Zheng, Xiaowan, Fang, Siyuan, Yang, Lianxiang
Technical Paper
Synthetic LiDAR Point Cloud Data Generation Tool and Deep Learning Validation2022-01-017703/29/2022
LiDAR sensors are set to become common in automated driving due to their high accuracy. However, LiDAR processing algorithm development suffers from lack of training data, partly due to the sensors' high cost. The few public datasets (e.g. KITTI) offer poor coverage of edge case scenarios, whereas these are essential to address to support safe self-driving. We address the unmet need for abundant, high-quality LiDAR data with the development of an artificial LiDAR point cloud generation tool and validate this tool's performance against the PIXOR model, which was trained on the KITTI dataset. The tool makes use of a single camera raycasting process to generate synthetic data and is used in conjunction with filtering techniques to create segmented and filtered object class-specific datasets . The tool has the potential to support the low-cost generation of accurate bulk data in support of training advanced self-driving algorithms, with configurability to simulate commercial and yet-to-be
Karur, Karthik, Pappas, Georgios, Siegel, Joshua, Zhang, Mi
Technical Paper
Investigations on Visibility of Digital Road Projections2022-01-095903/29/2022
With the arrival of Digital Projectors in Automotive Applications the possibilities of communication have drastically increased. Since there was no regulation in advance, the discussion about how to assess digital projections is now very active. Concerns are communicated, but with rare research base. This paper will investigate, if and in which geometrical space road projections are visible to other road traffic participants like oncoming, passing drivers or pedestrians. The research will investigate where projections are recognizable and assignable to the original intention of the projection. Test persons will be placed around the digital projections in a street scenery in night time driving condition. A grid will be created to identify the areas where digital projections could be understood and where the digital projections are not assignable to any interpretation. A questionnaire on safety evaluation will be added. The paper will present the geometrical “readability map” of digital
Hamm, Michael, Kobbert, Jonas, Hinterwaelder, Christian
Technical Paper
The Optical Basis and Realization Conditions of High Recognizable & Glare-Free Chiaroscuro & Sfumato-Chiaroscuro Photonic Channel Illuminant2022-01-096103/29/2022
A novel high recognizable & glare-free chiaroscuro & sfumato-chiaroscuro photonic channel illuminant, which is with a sense of depth & layering, stereo sense, large FOV (field of view), variable and/or gradient-based lighting to create a high safety and efficient lighting effect for the driver environment, overall vision and vehicle exterior lighting and all the target and the object surrounding the vehicle. It included 1) a superbright photonic channel system, which is used for a specific objective to get a high recognizable & identifiable visual perception; 2) a dark photonic channel system, which is used to form the non-illuminated area. The non-illuminated area is the ocular region of the humans, pets, animals & wildlife, drivers in the vehicle ahead and the oncoming traffic, etc. The entire head and face area is the most basic non-illuminated area for humans, pets, animals & wildlife, etc.; 3) a visual system, which is with the functions of dynamically targeted locking, visual
Xiong, XiangWen
Technical Paper
Large-angle full-field strain measurement of small-sized objects based on the multi-camera DIC test system2022-01-031603/29/2022
Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technology is a powerful tool in the field of experimental mechanics to obtain the full-field deformation of the surface of an object. It has been rapidly developed and applied in recent years. However, for the large-angle full-field strain measurement of small-sized cylindrical objects, it’s still a challenge to the DIC accurate measurement due to its small size and curved surface. In this paper, in order to study the compressive performance of small-sized cylindrical materials, a measurement method based on the multi-camera DIC system is proposed. Three cameras form two DIC measurement systems, each of which measures a part of the object. By calibrating three cameras at the same time, two independent DIC system coordinate systems can be unified to a coordinate system. Then match the two sets of DIC measurement data together to achieve 120-degree measurement of the cylindrical surface. For improving the spatial resolution of small-sized objects in the
Fang, Siyuan, Fang, Yue, Zeng, Danielle, Li, Ziang, Yang, Lianxiang
Technical Paper
TERMINALS, LUG AND SPLICES, CONDUCTOR, CRIMP STYLE, COPPER TERMINAL, LUG, CRIMP STYLE, COPPER, INSULATED, RING TONGUE, FOR THIN WALL WIRE, TYPE II CLASS 1 FOR 105 °C TOTAL CONDUCTOR TEMPERATUREAS7928/1E (Current)09/21/2021
AE-8C2 Terminating Devices and Tooling Committee
Technical Standard
Motion Amplification: A full-field camera based vibration technique.2021-01-109408/31/2021
Motion Amplification (MA) is a video-processing technique that detects subtle motion (as small as 250 nanometers) and enhances that motion to a level visible with the naked eye and can be performed live in real-time on even a modest laptop, making it suitable for a range of applications from product design to structural testing. Using a high definition camera where every pixel becomes an independent sensor, this creates a full-field vibration device with millions of measured locations. The technology allows the user to measure absolute displacement across the full field of view providing a waveform and spectrum for each location. MA video is supplemented with other full-field vibration techniques such as Motion Maps that produce Vibragrams, or colorized images of motion, that can show intensity of motion as an overall and for a specified frequency to quickly analyze the vibration signatures in the scene or pinpoint areas of high NVH. Videos can be filtered based on frequency to show
Hay, Jeff
Technical Paper
TERMINALS, LUG AND SPLICES, CONDUCTOR, CRIMP STYLE, COPPER, INSULATED, RECTANGULAR TONGUE, FOR THIN WALL WIRE, TYPE III, CLASS 1, FOR 105 °C TOTAL CONDUCTOR TEMPERATUREAS7928/2E (Current)08/26/2021
AE-8C2 Terminating Devices and Tooling Committee
Technical Standard
Integrated Building Systems for Healthcare FacilitiesTBMG-3864203/01/2021
When I think about integrated building systems, I jump to commercial buildings. But it occurred to me that healthcare facilities could be a very important application. To look into that, I interviewed Dwight Stewart, Founder and CTO, Igor, Inc. (West Des Moines, IA). Igor’s flagship product, Nexos, is a PoE-based IoT smart building platform that incorporates the hardware, software, and cloud analytics components to form a digital building 'backbone'.
Magazine Article
SAE TOMORROW TODAY: Self-Driving For The Long Haul with Kodiak Robotics1293102/19/2021
Kodiak Robotics is delivering more than freight, it's delivering the future. We spoke with Andreas Wendel, Vice President of Engineering at Kodiak Robotics, to discuss how they became a developer of reliable, highway-tested, self-driving long haul trucks and the elements required to create safe vehicles that perform consistently, delivering freight to commercial customers with a 100% on-time delivery record. Discover the difference between range of visibility and range of confidence across cameras, lidar and radar, and why this three-pronged approach allows Kodiak to develop the software and technology that enables zero disengagements across 800 miles.
Hineman, Marcie
Podcast
TERMINALS, LUG AND SPLICES, CONDUCTOR, CRIMP STYLE, COPPER, INSULATED, RECTANGULAR TONGUE, FOR THIN WALL WIRE, TYPE II, CLASS 1 FOR 105 °C TOTAL CONDUCTOR TEMPERATUREAS7928/2D (Historical)02/19/2021
AE-8C2 Terminating Devices and Tooling Committee
Technical Standard
Spiderwebs Inspire 3D PhotodectorsTBMG-3855702/01/2021
Researchers used some architectural features from spiderwebs to develop 3D photodetectors for biomedical imaging. Spiderwebs typically provide excellent mechanical adaptability and damage-tolerance against various mechanical loads such as storms. The technology uses the structural architecture of a spiderweb that exhibits a repeating pattern.
Magazine Article
Creating a Quality Management Protocol for Molded Plastics Used in Medical Device ManufacturingTBMG-3816112/01/2020
Quality control is an important element in any manufacturing process but when the products are components for use in medical devices, it is more than important, it is critical. Many medical device components are manufactured using medical-grade plastics, as the material has excellent biocompatibility, is both lightweight and durable, and can withstand the sterilization process.
Magazine Article
TERMINALS, LUG AND SPLICES, CONDUCTOR, CRIMP STYLE, COPPER TERMINAL, LUG, INSULATED, RING TONGUE, BELL-MOUTHED, TYPE II, CLASS 1 (FOR 150 °C TOTAL CONDUCTOR TEMPERATURE)AS7928/4C (Current)11/13/2020
AE-8C2 Terminating Devices and Tooling Committee
Technical Standard
Occupant Restraint Dynamic System Evaluation - Frontal Impact Heavy TrucksJ2418_202011 (Current)11/09/2020
This SAE Recommended Practice describes the test procedures for conducting frontal impact restraint tests for heavy truck applications. Its purpose is to establish recommended test procedures that will standardize restraint system testing for heavy trucks. Descriptions of the test set-up, test instrumentation, photographic/video coverage, and the test fixtures are included.
Truck Crashworthiness Committee
Recommended Practice
Lenslet-Based Integral Field SpectrographTBMG-3799111/01/2020
An integral field spectrograph (IFS) is an instrument combining spectrographic and imaging capabilities. IFSs provide spectral information over a 2D field of view. In lenslet-based IFS designs, a lenslet array is placed in the spectrograph entrance plane. All beams generated by the lenslet array are fed through a dispersive element and imaged by a camera, resulting in a spectrum for each individual lenslet.
Magazine Article
Electronically Controlled 2D Reflector Improves Microwave CommunicationsTBMG-3764509/01/2020
Researchers are reinventing the mirror, at least for microwaves, potentially replacing the familiar 3D dishes and microwave horns seen on rooftops and cell towers with flat panels that are compact, versatile, and better adapted for modern communication technologies. The new reflectors offer lightweight, low-profile alternatives to conventional antennas. The panels could be easily incorporated onto surfaces of buildings or terrestrial vehicles.
Magazine Article
Man vs Machine: Who Reigns Supreme for Quality Inspection?TBMG-3738508/01/2020
The human eye is a particularly complex instrument. Working in combination with the brain, it allows us to perceive our surroundings. We are able to recognize objects in a split second, even when their exact shape varies. We use perspective to analyze our environment and have a wide field of vision capable of focusing very sharply on particular areas. These abilities have gradually evolved over millennia as humans continually adapted to many different stimuli and environments in order to survive.
Magazine Article
Characterizing Richness of Previously Unmapped Terrain and its Impact on Navigation Using 3D Range SensorsTBMG-3684205/01/2020
Landers to large planetary bodies such as Mars typically use a secondary reconnaissance spacecraft to generate high-fidelity 3D terrain maps that are subsequently used for landing site selection and creating onboard maps for terrain-relative navigation systems. This luxury does not exist with small primitive bodies such as comets and asteroids. For these bodies, the landing spacecraft has to perform the 3D mapping and, with possible help from ground control, choose a feasible landing site. To enable this operation, the spacecraft would need to carry a 3D ranging sensor system such as a LiDAR. With the spacecraft placed in extended mapping orbits, 3D range measurement data is then used to create a shape model of the object. Terrain-based navigation schemes that employ cameras could then be used to image, detect, match, and track features against the map database to provide a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) navigation solution during descent. Camera-based systems, however, are not robust to
Magazine Article
Roush Lands in AV Country20AVEP05_0605/01/2020
An auto-industry icon for engineering, prototyping, testing and manufacturing services establishes its West Coast presence. Famous as an engineering-services company, a NASCAR racing icon, and the name behind many high-performance Ford cars and trucks, the Roush brand is a go-to for OEMs and suppliers needing projects executed on schedule with high quality. Engineering, prototyping, testing and manufacturing are the four pillars of “the company that Jack built” in the Detroit suburbs. That reputation is being extended through Roush's new sales office in San Luis Obispo, on California's Central Coast. “We'd been thinking about establishing a West Coast presence for quite a while,” says Jason Furr, executive director of sales at Roush's Livonia, Michigan, HQ. “There is so much going on there, and our peer-to-peer reputation among OEMs and Tier 1s has brought many Silicon Valley companies to Detroit to find us. But we want to be part of the fabric, energy and pulse of what's going on in
Brooke, Lindsay
Magazine Article
Investigation on Safety Improvements by Lighting for Pedestrians and Cyclists2020-01-063304/14/2020
The paper will describe actual investigations on safety improvements by new lighting functions. Especially the new chance of projections on the road surface either by simple reflector technology or by modern signature and pattern projection will be investigated. Several different prototype technology will be checked by a set of new parameters, e.g. reaction time to signals, clear understanding, minimum and optimum visual contrasts etc.
Hamm, Michael, Hinterwaelder, Christian
Technical Paper
Requirements for Road Weather ApplicationsJ2945/3_202003 (Historical)03/24/2020
Inclement weather can have a significant impact on surface transportation systems. It can result in hazardous conditions for travelers due to poor visibility, or wet or icy roadways. Weather applications have the potential to provide additional data to surface transportation infrastructure owners and operators, allowing them to better assess the impacts of the weather environment on or around the roadway and to better manage the surface transportation system. Such weather applications can: Collect road weather data from connected vehicles and mobile devices, increasing the number of data sources available. Provide road weather related traveler information to travelers via connected vehicles and devices, such as when and where a hazardous condition exists. Provide the ability to manage road weather response on specific roadways. This SAE Standard specifies interface requirements between vehicles and infrastructure for weather applications, including detailed systems engineering
Infrastructure Applications Technical Committee
Technical Standard
Color-Coded Incandescent Flange Base T-1 and T-1 3/4 Lamps for Voltage IdentificationAS4156C (Current)03/12/2020
This document specifies that black is the only color that can be used for the insulator at the bottom of the base of T-1 and T-1 ¾ Flanged Base lamps.
A-20A Crew Station Lighting
Technical Standard
Application Study of Blind Spot Monitoring System Realized by Monocular Camera with CNN Depth Cues Extraction Approach12-02-04-001612/17/2019
The image from monocular camera is processed to detect depth information of the obstacles viewed by the rearview cameras of vehicle door side. The depth information recognized from a single, two-dimensional image data can be used for the purpose of blind spot area detection. Blind spot detection is contributing to enhance the vehicle safety in scenarios such as lane-change and overtaking driving. In this article the depth cue information is inferred from the feature comparison between two image blocks selected within a single image. Convolutional neural network model trained by deep learning process with good enough accuracy is applied to distinguish if an obstacle is far or near for a specified threshold in the vehicle blind spot area. The application study results are demonstrated by the offline calculations with real traffic image data.
Guo, Yuxiang, Kumazawa, Itsuo, Kaku, Chuyo
Journal Article
CONTI SUITS UP19AUTP10_0110/01/2019
A team of young innovators aims to transform a critical piece of safety equipment - and create new business - through collaboration. Few colors shock the human brain into attention more than high-visibility Yellow. “Hi-viz” as it's known in the safety-apparel industry, is an on-the-job requirement for first responders, road workers, tow-truck drivers, linesmen, loggers, couriers, coast guard deck crews - any all-weather vocation for which being seen in low-visibility situations can make the difference between life and death. Included are overnight package-delivery drivers who must sprint across busy city streets - at night, in the fog and rain - to deliver the goods. But hi-viz, even when combined with reflective fabrics, is often not sufficient for wearers to be seen.
Brooke, Lindsay
Magazine Article
Robot “Eye” Provides 360° Field of ViewTBMG-3515909/01/2019
The production of precision products depends on robot control systems knowing the location of the adhesive bonding head or welding head to the nearest millimeter at all times. This means the robot needs some sort of eye. Specialized sensors can perform this function, most of which operate on the principle of laser triangulation. A laser diode projects a line of red light onto the workpiece, from which the light is reflected at a specific angle before being detected by a camera. From the position of the light striking the camera chip, the position and distance of the sensor with respect to the workpiece within the coordinate system can be calculated.
Magazine Article
Ice-Crystal Icing Accretion Studies at the NASA Propulsion Systems Laboratory2019-01-192106/10/2019
This paper describes an ice-crystal icing experiment conducted at the NASA Propulsion System Laboratory during June 2018. This test produced ice shape data on an airfoil for different test conditions similar to those inside the compressor region of a turbo-fan jet engine. Mixed-phase icing conditions were generated by partially freezing out a water spray using the relative humidity of flow as the primary parameter to control freeze-out. The paper presents the ice shape data and associated conditions which include pressure, velocity, temperature, humidity, total water content, melt ratio, and particle size distribution. The test featured a new instrument traversing system which allowed surveys of the flow and cloud. The purpose of this work was to provide experimental ice shape data and associated conditions to help develop and validate ice-crystal icing accretion models. The results support previous experimental observations of a minimum melt-ratio threshold for accretion to occur as
Struk, Peter M., Agui, Juan, Ratvasky, Thomas, King, Michael, Bartkus, Tadas, Tsao, Jen-Ching
Technical Paper
Vision Sensors in Factory AutomationTBMG-3457706/01/2019
There are a number of ways to extract data from a production line. In factory automation, sensors are used in work cells to gather data for inspection or to trigger other devices. These sensors fall into multiple categories – photoelectric, fiber optic, proximity, ultrasonic, and vision are the most common.
Magazine Article
New Performance Metrics for Lidar19AVEP05_0705/01/2019
Frame-rate measurement is so yesterday. Object-revisit rate and instantaneous resolution are more relevant metrics, and indicative of what a lidar system can and should do, argues a revolutionary in the artificial-perception space. How do you measure the effectiveness of an intelligent, lidar-based perception system for autonomous vehicles? Conventional evaluation metrics favor frame rate and resolution as the ideal criteria. However, experts at Pleasanton, Calif.-based artificial perception company AEye believe that these criteria are inadequate for measuring the unique capabilities of more advanced lidar systems, nor do they explicitly address real-world problems facing autonomous driving, such as hazard detection and tracking. “Makers of automotive lidar systems are frequently asked about their frame rate, and whether or not their technology has the ability to detect objects with 10% reflectivity at a specified range, frame rate and resolution,” said the company's co-founder and
Vijayan, Indu
Magazine Article
AV ‘Goiters’ Be Gone!19AVEP05_1205/01/2019
Magneti Marelli's ‘Smart Corner’ technology aims to reduce cost, complexity and mass by integrating key vehicle sensors seamlessly into a vehicle's lighting modules. Warts. Bumps. Blisters. Protuberances. These and other less-flattering terms are used by vehicle designers and engineers to describe the bulging, non-integrated sensor placement that has become the unfortunate visual signature for automated vehicles (AVs). “We actually call them ‘goiters,’” said Bill Grabowski, head of innovation and technology for Automotive Lighting division at Magneti Marelli. “While they're [sensors] primarily for function, the OEM and the end customer don't want to see these protrusions littering the vehicle exterior in production. Packaging up to 25 sensors that handle all levels of ADAS and autonomous driving has become a major problem for the automakers.”
Brooke, Lindsay
Magazine Article
GPU Implementation for Automatic Lane Tracking in Self-Driving Cars2019-01-068004/02/2019
The development of efficient algorithms has been the focus of automobile engineers since self-driving cars become popular. This is due to the potential benefits we can get from self-driving cars and how they can improve safety on our roads. Despite the good promises that come with self-driving cars development, it is way behind being a perfect system because of the complexity of our environment. A self-driving car must understand its environment before it makes decisions on how to navigate, and this might be difficult because the changes in our environment is non-deterministic. With the development of computer vision, some key problems in intelligent driving have been active research areas. The advances made in the field of artificial intelligence made it possible for researchers to try solving these problems with artificial intelligence. Lane detection and tracking is one of the critical problems that need to be effectively implemented. The ability of a self-driving car to
Yusuf, Ayomide, Alawneh, Shadi
Technical Paper
Enhancing Contrast-Sensitivity Charts for Validating Visual Representations of Low-Illumination Scenes2019-01-100904/02/2019
This aim of this study was to introduce and test three different design enhancements to the contrast-sensitivity charts developed by Ayers and Kubose [1]. Contrast-sensitivity charts are the current, critical instrument for generating photographic representations of low-illumination scenes. However, their range of applicability is limited to a specific range of lighting conditions for any given scene, and a limited set of testing and perceptual conditions for observers. A total of four contrast charts were presented to ten dark-adapted observers in nine different lighting conditions that changed in ascending order from low to high levels of illumination. For each lighting condition, the order and orientation of the charts was randomized. Observations related to the number of detected contrast levels were then compared to find the utilization ranges for each chart. In addition, observers were asked to report the directionality of the detected center light wedges for the two enhanced
Sprague, James, Meza-Arroyo, Manuel, Shibata, Peggy, Auflick, Jack
Technical Paper
Numerical Investigation of Wiper Drawback2019-01-064004/02/2019
Windscreen wipers are an integral component of the windscreen cleaning systems of most vehicles, trains, cars, trucks, boats and some planes. Wipers are used to clear rain, snow, and dirt from the windscreen pushing the water from the wiped surface. Under certain conditions however, water which has been driven to the edge of the windscreen by the wiper can be drawn back into the driver’s field of view by aerodynamic forces introduced by the wiper motion. This is wiper drawback, an undesirable phenomenon as the water which is drawn back on to the windscreen can reduce driver’s vision and makes the wiper less effective. The phenomena of wiper drawback can be tested for in climatic tunnels using sprayer systems to wet the windscreen. However, these tests require a bespoke test property or prototype vehicle, which means that the tests are done fairly late in the development of the vehicle. Furthermore, these results do not provide significant insight into the mechanisms driving the wiper
Jilesen, Jonathan, Gaylard, Adrian, Linden, Tom
Technical Paper
Portable Acousto-Optic SpectrometersTBMG-3339812/01/2018
Spectrometers are widely used for applications such as chemical analysis, remote sensing, quality control, environmental monitoring, spaceborne measurements, and optical measurements. Most spectrometers are based on using dispersive elements such as prisms, gratings, or etalons. These spectrometers typically have moving parts that induce spurious readings due to vibrations, and have limited use due to their limited spectral range and resolution capabilities, which in turn limit their use when needed for portable field applications.
Magazine Article
SAE Eye on Engineering: Conti's Virtual A-Pillar tech1239911/13/2018
The pillars that frame both sides of your car's windshield are known as the A pillars. In this episode of SAE Eye on Engineering, Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Brooke looks at Continental's new "Virtual" A pillar. SAE Eye on Engineering also airs Monday mornings on WJR 760 AM Detroit's Paul W. Smith Show.
Video
MR Coil for High-Quality ImagingTBMG-3306510/01/2018
Researchers have developed and tested an MR coil for high-quality imaging of the whole mouse. Such coils are required for preclinical studies of drugs, as well as for targeted examination of various body systems. Due to the design features, the new coil provides three times higher image quality than a commercial volume MR coil, usually used in such studies. The coil is low cost, and the manufacturing technology can be adapted for different studies.
Magazine Article
Technique Allows Mobile Robots to Navigate AutonomouslyTBMG-3307710/01/2018
A technique was developed to quickly teach robots novel traversal behaviors with minimal human oversight. The technique allows mobile robot platforms to navigate autonomously in environments while carrying out actions a human would expect of the robot in a given situation.
Magazine Article
A Novel Barricade Warning Light System Using Wireless Communications2018-01-503609/12/2018
Workers in construction and transportation sectors are at increased risk for work-related injuries and fatalities by nearby traffic. Barricade-mounted warning lights meeting current specifications do not always provide consistent and adequate visual guidance to drivers and can contribute to glare and reduced safety. Through an implementation of sensors and wireless communications, a novel, intelligent set of warning lights and a tablet-based interface were developed. The lights modulate between 100% and 10% of maximum intensity rather than between 100% and off in order to improve visual guidance and adjust their overall intensity based on ambient conditions. The lights can be synchronized or operated in sequential flash patterns at any frequency between 1 and 4 Hz, and sequential patterns automatically update based on global positioning satellite (GPS) locations displayed in the control interface. A successful field demonstration of the system verified that its functions were viewed
Rea, Mark S., Skinner, Nicholas P., Bullough, John D.
Technical Paper
Lens-Free Fluorescent MicroscopeTBMG-2974107/01/2018
Rice engineers have developed a wide-field microscope thinner than a credit card, small enough to sit on a fingertip and capable of micrometer resolution over a volume of several cubic millimeters.
Magazine Article
Products of Tomorrow: July 2018TBMG-2971107/01/2018
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
Magazine Article
Guidance on Mitigation Strategies Against Laser Illumination EffectsARP6378 (Current)06/02/2018
This document is intended to give guidance to users, regulators and persons in the aviation field who may be affected by the potential visual interference effects of lasers aimed at aircraft by the general public. The potential effects include startle (distraction, disruption, disorientation, and operational incapacitation), glare, and flashblindness. This document provides mitigation strategies against such effects, including operational procedures, pilot education, and the use of Laser Glare Protection. Prevention of harm from laser eye injuries is discussed but is not a focus of this document, due to the extremely low likelihood of injurious levels of laser light in typical aircraft illumination scenarios. Devices for detecting and reporting hazardous laser illuminations are briefly described in Appendix D, but are not a focus of this document. Some information in this document may also be useful for non-aviation users, such as persons driving vehicles. Additional information can be
G10-OL Operational Laser Committee
Recommended Practice
Study on Target Tracking Based on Vision and Radar Sensor Fusion2018-01-061304/03/2018
Faced with intricate traffic conditions, the single sensor has been unable to meet the safety requirements of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. In the field of multi-target tracking, the number of targets detected by vision sensor is sometimes less than the current tracks while the number of targets detected by millimeter wave radar is more than the current tracks. Hence, a multi-sensor information fusion algorithm is presented by utilizing advantage of both vision sensor and millimeter wave radar. The multi-sensor fusion algorithm is based on centralized fusion strategy that the fusion center takes a unified track management. At First, vision sensor and radar are used to detect the target and to measure the range and the azimuth angle of the target. Then, the detections data from vision sensor and radar is transferred to fusion center to join the multi-target tracking with the prediction of current tracks. Vision sensor uses Global Nearest Neighbor (GNN
Wu, Xian, Ren, Jing, Wu, Yujun, Shao, Jianwang
Technical Paper
Modelling the Effect of Spray Breakup, Coalescence, and Evaporation on Vehicle Surface Contamination Dynamics2018-01-070504/03/2018
Vehicle surface contamination is an important design consideration as it affects drivers’ vision and the performance of onboard camera and sensor systems. Previous work has shown that eddy-resolving methods are able to accurately capture the flow field and particle transport, leading to good agreement for vehicle soiling with experiments. What is less clear is whether the secondary breakup, coalescence, and evaporation of liquid particles play an important role in spray dynamics. The work reported here attempts to answer this and also give an idea of the computational cost associated with these extra physics models. A quarter-scale generic Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) model is used as a test case in which the continuous phase is solved using the Spalart-Allmaras Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (IDDES) model. The dispersed phase is computed concurrently with the continuous phase using the Lagrangian approach. The Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) secondary breakup and the
Kabanovs, Anton, Garmory, Andrew, Passmore, Martin, Gaylard, Adrian
Journal Article
Influence of Oncoming Light Exposure on Safety Outcomes in a Naturalistic Driving Study2018-01-103904/03/2018
Recent naturalistic driving studies provide a useful means for gathering information about the potential role of lighting in driving safety. The Naturalistic Driving Study carried out through the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) includes real-time driving data for crashes, near-crashes and baseline driving events for more than 3000 drivers across the United States. Among the data collected are oncoming illuminance recordings that can be used to estimate glare exposure for the drivers in the study. Data for crash events occurring at night were compared to those for baseline driving under similar conditions and by drivers of similar ages. The resulting light exposure data indicate that oncoming glare is likely to be only a very small factor associated with nighttime crashes, but that the influence of glare may increase for older drivers.
Bullough, John D.
Technical Paper
New Optics See More with LessTBMG-2833802/01/2018
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a technology that combines a panoramic refracting optic (PRO) lens with a unique detection system to acquire a true 360-degree field of view. Although current imaging systems can acquire panoramic images, they must use up to five cameras to obtain the full field of view. MSFC's technology obtains its panoramic images from one vantage point.
Magazine Article
Kid: A Telemedicine Solution for Retinopathy of PrematurityTBMG-2784411/01/2017
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease that affects premature infants. It is the leading cause of childhood blindness. Although effective treatments exist, many infants are still at-risk due to the small window of time for detection. The current standard of care consists of in-person, manual screening by a pediatric ophthalmologist. Unfortunately, the number of infants in need of screening far surpasses the availability of specifically trained ophthalmologists. Consequently, fewer than 30 percent of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) worldwide have fully compliant ROP screening programs.
Magazine Article
SAE ARP598 and ISO 4407 Compliant Technological Advances in Wear Debris Particle Imaging for On-Site Condition Monitoring in the Aerospace Industry2017-01-212309/19/2017
The need to maintain aircraft in remote, harsh environments poses significant challenges. For example, in desert assignments or on-board carrier vessels where frequent rotation of staff with variable levels of skill and experience requires condition monitoring equipment that is not only robust and portable but also user friendly and requiring a minimum of training and skill to set up and use correctly. The mainstays of any on-site aircraft maintenance program are various fluid and particulate condition monitoring tests that convey information about the current mechanical state of the system. In the front line of these is the collection and analysis of wear debris particles retrieved from a component’s lubricating or power transmission fluid or from magnetic plugs. It is standard practice within the specialist laboratory environment to view and image wear debris using a microscope. However, it is not possible to view both macroscopic and microscopic particles at the same magnification
Leavers, Violet
Technical Paper
Curved Sensor Improves Image Quality Captured with Digital CamerasTBMG-2731008/01/2017
In dark environments, it is often difficult to get a clear, high-quality image. To address this problem, a method was developed for spherically curving the flat image sensors found in digital cameras. The curved sensors could be used to create better cameras for surveillance, head-mounted displays, and advancements in autonomous vehicle navigation.
Magazine Article
Lindley Johnson, Planetary Defense Officer, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D. C.TBMG-2716807/18/2017
Magazine Article
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