Autonomous Brake Light Communication

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Autonomous Brake Light Communication

• Phil Osteen
• Robot Name Traffic Flobot
• EML 5666C, IMDL
• November 25, 2008

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Outline

• Motivation
• Practical theory behind the project
• Ideal implementation
• Project Description
• Impractical implementation of theory
• Logical Diagram, description
• Sensor package
• Conclusion

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Motivation

• Dangerous high traffic driving scenarios
• High Speed driving, Driving at night, Driving on
  wet road
• Depending on driver, brake lights mean
• A) Get ready to slow down
• B) Stop!
• Possible Solution
• Automate brake light system to detect brake
  lights ahead of vehicle and apply brake lights
• Basic form of vehicle communication

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Traffic Flobot Project

• Drives autonomously until object is detected
• Classifies object as a vehicle or an obstacle
• Driving vehicle emits blue light
• Stopping vehicle emits red brake light
• If lead vehicle is stopping, robot waits behind
  it
• If lead starts driving again, robot follows
• If not, timeout causes passing behavior

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Moving/Stopping LED Array
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Component Setup

• LCD
• 3 Servo Motors
• CMU Cam
• 2 Sonars
• 2 Infrared detectors
• Infrared emitters/Red LED Array (not shown)

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Sensor Package

• Lead vehicle
• Red LED brake light array
• Blue LED drive light array
• Follow vehicle
• 2 synchronized LV-MaxSonar EZ1 sonars
• Obstacle Detection/Avoidance
• CMU camera
• Vehicle recognition
• Stopping, moving classification

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Conclusion

• Vehicle communication can be achieved using LED
  arrays and cameras
• Camera detection and following is possible in
  controlled environment
• But not robust in natural environments
• Intelligent and functional robot cannot be built
  for less than 150

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Future Work

• Use other sensor for brake light detection
• IR detector possibly less sensitive to
  environment
• Use DC motors to drive vehicle
• Servos work, but are slow
• Try to apply practical theory in a more practical
  way
• Test outside, on a larger scale

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Questions?

• http//plaza.ufl.edu/prosteen/IMDL/IMDL.htm