Teaching Cars to See

Christoph Stiller from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, will talk on "Seminar Details
Scene Perception for Cognitive Automobiles", at the ANU in Canberra, 25 March 2010:

Seminar Details

Scene Perception for Cognitive Automobiles

Christoph Stiller (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

CSIRO ICT

DATE: 2010-03-25
TIME: 10:00:00 - 11:00:00
LOCATION: RSISE Seminar Room, ground floor, building 115, cnr. North and Daley Roads, ANU
CONTACT: Renate.Hays@csiro.au

ABSTRACT:
Environment perception and scene understanding are crucial issues for autonomous or assisted navigation of mobiles. Just like human drivers plan, initiate, supervise, and control suitable behavior based on the perception and understanding of the scene, cognitive systems project those capabilities onto artificial systems. This contribution focuses on methods that provide perceptual capabilities to automobiles. It is embedded in the Karlsruhe-Munich Collaborative Transregional Research Centre A'Cognitive AutomobilesA addressing systematic and interdisciplinary research on machine cognition of mobile systems as the basis for a scientific theory of automated machine behavior. The potential of cooperative perception and behavior is examined. Experimental autonomous vehicles and closed-loop simulations accompany analytic research. Cognitive Automobiles require methods for acquisition of metric, symbolic, and conceptual knowledge. These exploit diversity in the analysis of data from complementary sensors including auto calibrating active vision as well as lidar sensors. Markov Logic Networks are introduced to infer relationships among objects. First results are presented including the teamAs finalistAs entry to the Darpa Urban Challenge.

BIO:
Christoph Stiller received the Diploma degree in Electrical Engineering from Aachen University of Technology, Germany in 1988. In 1987/1988 he visited the Norwegian University of Technology in Trondheim, Norway for six months. In 1988 he became a Scientific Assistant at Aachen University of Technology. After completion of his Dr.-Ing. degree (Ph.D.) with distinction, he worked at INRS-Telecommunications in Montreal, Canada as a post-doctoral Member of the Scientific Staff in 1994/1995. In 1995 he joined the Corporate Research and Advanced Development of Robert Bosch GmbH, Hildesheim, Germany, where he was responsible for 'Computer Vision for Automotive Applications'. In 2001 he became chaired professor and director of the Institute for Metrology and Control Engineering at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.

His present interest covers sensor signal analysis, visual inspection, video sensing, information fusion and real-time applications thereof. He is author or co-author of more than 100 publications and patents in this field. He is speaker of the Transregional Collaborative Research Center 'Cognitive Automobiles'. Dr. Stiller is Vice President Publications of the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society since 2010. He serves as Editor in Chief of the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine (2009-ongoing) and as Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing (1999-2003) and IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems (2004-ongoing). He has served as program chair for the IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium 2004 and is appointed general chair of the IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium 2010 in Germany. He is member of the German Electrical Engineering Association (VDE).

iPhone Car Radio

Some time ago I suggested a car radio with a socket to hold an iPhone/i-Pod touch. Dual Electronics have now produced such a device with their Dual XML8100. This looks like an ordinary car radio, until the front panel is hinged down revealing an iPhone/touch docking station. This is not quite as simple or low cost as the design I suggested, but looks workable and reasonably priced at around US$100.

The unit is designed to work with older model iPods, not just the iPod Touch and iPhone. The full manual for the unit is available online.

It should be noted that to use the phone functions of an iPhone, the optional Dual BTM60 Bluetooth Interface Module is required. This is designed to clip to the sun visor and includes a noise cancelling microphone. It should be noted that the iPhone doesn't have an external antenna socket and so may not get good phone reception if mounted low on the car dashboard.

While it works with a large range of iPods, this has limited the options for the designer. The older iPods are designed to only be operated when upright, that is in "portrait" mode. The iPhone and iPod touch can also be operated lying down, in "landscape" mode. This is the way I suggested having them in the car, so they fit better with the standard radio slot on the dashboard. With the Dual XML8110 the iPod projects up above the radio slot, where it may interfere with other car controls.

Also the Dual XML8110 has increased complexity and cost due to having two sets of controls and displays: one for when an iPod is not used and another inside when the panel is swung down and the iPod inserted. It would have been simpler and cheaper to have the one set of displays and controls.

In car dash HTC Magic Google Android phone mount?

There appear to be few accessories
for HTC Magic Google Android phone, so far. This is to suggest a simple, low cost car dashboard mount. There are various holders for smart phones on car dashboard, but no one so far seems to have thought to build the mount into the dashboard. Like the Apple iPhone, the HTC Magic can be used in the landscape position. In this position, the screen is about the size and shape of a small entertainment/navigation screen in an upmarket car. Provide a low cost radio and amplifier with a socket for the phone to fit in the standard radio dashboard space and you could have a touch screen communications and entertainment system for under $US100 (not including the cost of the phone).

An example of this approach is the Eclipse AVN2210P: a dashboard media hub, with a removable TomTom navigation unit. This system got mixed reviews, some good and some bad. This is a large unit, so it will not fit some cars and it is designed to provide a CD and MP3 player, even without the TomTom installed and so is large and expensive. But a similar device, smaller and cheaper, could be made for a phone.

The HTC Magic is 113 x 55 x 13.65 mm ( slightly shorter and narrower, but deeper than the iPhone at 115×61×11.6 mm). This is 5mm taller than the standard slot in a car dashboard for a radio: 180 x 50 mm (the so called "DIN car radio size" DIN 75490 ISO 7736). The phone could be accommodated in a double DIN (180 x 100 mm panel) slot (as used by the Eclipse) or simply by having the phone protrude 5 mm outside the slot (the average car radio has a surround a few mm bigger). The unit could be made for a single DIN slot and be provided with spacers to fill a double DIN slot. The phone is 67 mm shorter than the DIN slot, leaving enough space for a volume control , digital display and some radio controls.

When the phone was not in place, the car would still have a working radio. With the phone plugged in there would be phone, MP3 and other functions provided via the touch screen. The car unit could be made at very low cost with simple analogue electronics, with all the sophisticated functions provided by the phone.

As the dashboard unit would only contain a minimum of electronics, it could be made about 5 mm deep and so could also be mounted on a flat surface or on a dashboard top mount, when a dashboard slot is not available. The unit could be made as a removable head, like some car radios. The same unit could then also be used as a desktop dock for the phone in the home or office, with some low cost speakers and a power supply attached.

See also:

• HTC Magic and accessories
• Books about Google Android

Parrot RK8200 iPod car radio

With "In dash iPhone for Car?" I suggested having a dashboard car radio with a slot for an iPhone. Parrot have done something like this with their RK8200 car stereo / Bluetooth hands-free kit. This looks like a dashboard media unit with a small colour screen and removable head. But underneath where you would expect to find a blank panel, there is a slot to put an iPod, MP3 player or mobile phone.

The iPod or phone is plugged into the Parrot with a short cable, the iPod is then slipped into the cavity in the dashboard unit and the control unit placed over the top. The iPod or phone is then operated via the Parrot's front panel controls. The unit includes a Bluetooth handsfree unit for calls and music can be played via the car's speakers.

This is a lot more complex and expensive that I was proposing. The Parrot RK8200 is £278.10 on Amazon UK. What I had in mind was a simple car radio which could use the display and controls of the iPhone for complex functions. Instead of this the Parrot provides its own controls, display and MP3 functions. This makes it a better integrated device, but increases the cost by about ten times.

Another problem with the Parrot is that a mobile phone may not work well when inside a slot in a car dashboard. It is not clear if the Parrot has provision for an external antenna and units such as the iPhone have no provision for one. A phone may not be able to connect to a base station inside a box in the dashboard.

In dash iPhone for Car?

There are various holders for iPhones and iPod touches in cars, but no one so far seems to have thought to build it into the dashboard. Unlike the average smart phone or PDA, the iPhone and touch can be used in the landscape position. In this position, the screen is about the size and shape of a small entertainment/navigation screen in an upmarket car. Provide a low cost radio and amplifier with a socket for the iPhone to fit in the standard radio dashboard space and you could have a touch screen communications and entertainment system for under $US100 (not including the cost of the iPhone).

An example of this approach is the Eclipse AVN2210P: a dashboard media hub, with a removable TomTom navigation unit. This system got mixed reviews, some good and some bad. This is a large unit, so it will not fit some cars and it is designed to provide a CD and MP3 player, even without the TomTom installed and so is large and expensive. But a similar device, smaller and cheaper, could be made for an iPhone.

An iPhone is 115×61×11.6 mm and the iPod touch is 110×61.8×8 mm. This is a bit taller than the standard slot in a car dashboard for a radio: 180 x 50 mm (the so called "DIN car radio size" DIN 75490 ISO 7736). The iPhone could be accommodated in a double DIN (180 x 100 mm panel) slot (as used by the Eclipse) or simply by having the iPod/iPhone protrude a few mm outside the slot (the average car radio has a surround a few mm bigger). The iPhone is 65 mm shorter than the DIN slot, leaving enough space for a volume control , digital display and some radio controls.

When the iPhone was not in place, the car would still have a working radio. With the iPhone plugged in there would be phone, MP3 and other functions provided via the touch screen. The car unit could be made at very low cost with simple analog electronics, with all the sophisticated functions provided by the iPhone.

As the dashboard unit would only contain a minimum of electronics, it could be made about 10 mm deep and so could also be mounted on a flat surface or on a dashboard top mount, when a dashboard slot is not available. The unit could be made as a removable head, like some car radios. The same unit could then also be used as a desktop dock for the iPhone in the home or office, with some low cost speakers and a power supply attached.

The iPhone does not have a GPS receiver built in. However, the connector on the iPhone includes a USB interface and so the docking unit could pass these signals through to a USB connector for use with an inexpensive external USB GPS receiver. Alternatively a Bluetooth GPS receiver could be used (the iPod touch lacks Bluetooth, but has USB).

See also:

• Eclipse AVN2210p CD receiver with detachable TomTom portable navigator
• Books about the iPhone
• iPhone and iPod Touch Accessories
• iPhone Car Mounts
  
• iPod Touch Car Mounts

HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion

The HP iPaq rx5900 Travel Companion is a PDA with GPS. It has the software from the TomTom GPS and a windscreen mount for a car. This a somewhat uncomfortable compromise being expensive for a small screen (3.5 inch) GPS unit and low resolution (QVGA 320 x 240) compared to newer PDAs.

There is a merging of functions happening with PDAs, GPS units, handled games and phones. Exactly what functions get incorporated depends more on what makes sense to the buyer, than what is possible with the technololgy.

Interactive car navigation with advertising

Dash is a US company offering a GPS car navigation computer with a wireless link for interactive access. The idea is that it can be updated in real time with information about traffic delays collected from other users of the unit:

The Dash navigator uses either Wi-Fi or cell network connectivity to provide users with real-time information that, if it works as advertises, could cut down on driving blindly into traffic jams.

The secret sauce seems to be the utilization of real-time route information sent automatically back to Dash's central servers by each Dash user's equipment. Then the central system sends specific route and traffic information back to individual users so that they can benefit from the experience of fellow Dash users ahead of them.

Their hardware looks much the same as other GPS units. However, it is not clear how much intelligence there is in the unit. In theory it could just be a dumb terminal relaying the GPS coordinates to the remote service of the Internet and sending back maps and instructions. But I suspect the Internet service just augments the usual built in mapping in the unit. There are considerable claims made:

Dash Express is the smartest, most Internet-connected navigation system on the road. In fact, it's the first and only automotive navigation system with two-way connectivity. Which means it gets you where you want to go—in the fastest time possible—and delivers the most relevant information—right to your dashboard. Plus, Dash Express is the only device on the market that automatically and wirelessly updates its maps and software, so all you have to do is drive.

Also it allows for very specific information about products and services available in the local area:

With Yahoo! Local and Dash Express, local search in the car is becoming a simple and easy-to-use reality. When a user enters their search term into their Dash Express, the device wirelessly begins a Yahoo! Local search on the web. Within seconds, the results are formatted into address cards and presented to the user as a simple listing of nearby businesses. With the press of a button on the device, the Dash user is routed to their desired destination.

Anu alternative would be a smartphone with GPS.

Third party dashboard computer for Holden Captiva?

According to the review in the Australian newspaper, the Holden Captiva SUV dashboard has a "... tell-tale blank space that must house a video screen in overseas versions ...".

There would seem to be room for a double DIN ISO 7736 slot for a custom Car Computer with a 7 inch screen.

The Holden Captiva is known as the Chevrolet Captiva in the USA and the Daewoo Winstorm in Korea. Some photos show the vehicle with a single height DIN screen (described as the "Driver Information Centre" with a coin tray filling the unused DIN slot below

Build a Car PC

At the library I noticed the book "Build Your Own Car PC" by Gavin D. J. Hooper. As the title suggests, this gives a step by step guide to building a personal computer into a car for entertainment, navigation and car diagnostics. The book takes a purist approach using a VIA SP Mini Itx motherboard which fits in a case the size of a car radio (DIN slot).

Such a tiny PC requires special low height components, for the memory cards and heat sink, a more rugged disk drive. The book discusses peripherals such as tray less DVD drives, radio and TV tuners, small LCD screens.

But what is not made entirely clear is why you want to do all this. A car PC would make an excellent entertainment system, able to play movies and music. A GPS antenna will turn it into a navigation system. An On Board Diagnostics (ODB) connector will allow the PC to read diagnostic information from the car's engine management system. But the details of how you would use these is not covered in great detail in the book, just how to put them together.

Navigating Car Navigation Systems

I was asked recently for some advice about GPS gadgets. I don't know a lot about them although I was once involved with checking for a bug in all the units at the Australian Defence Department.

It is a lot easier to buy a new car with the GPS built in. You might consider the deluxe model of the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid and save the planet at the same time.

The simplest add-on GPS units are designed to plug into the cigarette lighter, they stick to the windscreen with a suction cap and are under $1,000. There are hundreds of different models of Vehicle GPS available. Some of the leading brands are Garmin, Magellan, Navman, and TomTom.

The TomTom units seem to rate well for low end users. Their bottom of the range TomTom One is sold in Australia at stores like Dick Smith, starting at $649. There is a review of the TomTom One.

More expensive units have bigger screens and a Bluetooth mobile phone interface built in, but provide the same navigation features. A bigger screen is not a lot of use as you should not look at it while driving, but listen to the spoken instructions.

You can buy these units via the Internet, but make sure the unit has the maps for your country. Most sold on the Internet will have maps for the USA. While new maps can be loaded, it is easier to start with the right ones.