Improvement of driver night vision in foggy environments by structured light projection

Nowadays, fog is still a natural phenomenon that hinders our ability to detect targets, particularly in the field of driving where accidents are increasing. In the literature we find different studies determining the range of visibility, improving the quality of an image, determining the characteris...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Quintana Benito, Jaime, Álvarez Fernández-Balbuena, Antonio, Martínez Antón, Juan Carlos, Vázquez Moliní, Daniel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/72789
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/72789
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:617.75
612.84
Fog visibility scene
Fog and light scattering
Veiling luminance
Fog chamber
Smart lighting
Simulated fog scene
Optometría
Óptica oftálmica
Óptica fisiológica
2209.15 Optometría
Descripción
Sumario:Nowadays, fog is still a natural phenomenon that hinders our ability to detect targets, particularly in the field of driving where accidents are increasing. In the literature we find different studies determining the range of visibility, improving the quality of an image, determining the characteristics of fog, etc. In this work we propose the possibility of using a structured lighting system, on which we project the light towards the target, limiting the field lighting. We have developed a scattering light propagation model to simulate and subsequently study the veil luminance, generated by backscattering, to predict the decrease in visibility. This simulation considers the type of fog, the relative orientation of various elements (observer, light source and targets). We have built a fog chamber to validate the experimental params of the described system. The results obtained from both the simulation and the experimental measurements demonstrate that it is possible to obtain a high contrast enhancement for viewing a target when illuminated as described. Clearly, this kind of lighting technology will improve the road safety in foggy night environments. The results of this work can also be extrapolated to any situation in which the visibility of an observer is compromised by the environment, such as heavy rain, smoke from fires, among others.