Robotics Reference
In-Depth Information
is similar to radar, where the distance to remote objects is calculated by
measuring the time it takes an electronic burst of radio waves to make
the round trip from a transmitter to a reflective object, such as a metal
airplane, and back again. In the Canesta chips a burst of light, for exam-
ple light from an LED
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or a laser light, is transmitted instead of radio
waves, and the time taken for it to return to the chip after being reflected
is measured.
Life-Saving Technology for Motorists
At the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Amnon Shashua has developed
a computer chip called EyeQ that acts like a silent co-driver in your car,
onethatisnotabackseatpestbutwhichinsteadcansaveyourlifeand
those of as your passengers, as well as those in the oncoming path of
your car. The EyeQ chip operates in collaboration with a video camera
mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle. This camera sends informa-
tion on what it sees to a computer containing the EyeQ chip, which
can distinguish between ordinary, non-threatening observations seen by
the camera, such as stationary objects at the side of the road, and immi-
nent hazards, such as a pedestrian suddenly crossing the road in front of
the car.
Figure 34 illustrates a typical example of scene interpretation: EyeQ
detects vehicles (shown with a solid black line around them), pedestrians
(both stationary and moving, shown with a dotted line around them)
and lane markings (drawn with a white line). The numbers below the
bounding boxes are the range to the target, which is computed despite
the fact that the system is monocular.
In dangerous situations this information can be used by instruments
linked to the computer, to sound warnings or even take automatic cor-
rective steps involving the operation of the vehicle. Yes, this technology
will one day lead to cars that drive themselves in traffic.
Among the possible applications of the EyeQ chip are a warning sig-
nal for drivers who stray out of their lanes, an automatic cruise control to
regulate the speed of the car depending on traffic movement and other
factors, and the automatic tightening of seat belts and extra pressure on
the brake pedal in the event of an imminent crash.
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LED: Light Emitting Diode—a source of light, usually red, commonly used in electronic prod-
ucts.
