Intelligent automatic overtaking system using vision for vehicle detection

Highlights? We have implemented an autonomous overtaking system in a commercial car. ? The system performs the maneuver as humans do, i.e., depending on the leading vehicle. ? Vision system is use to detect obstacles and to determine its length and width. ? Fuzzy logic was used as control technique to design lateral and longitudinal control. ? Real experiments show the ability of the system to manage any overtaking maneuver. There is clear evidence that investment in intelligent transportation system technologies brings major social and economic benefits. Technological advances in the area of automatic systems in particular are becoming vital for the reduction of road deaths. We here describe our approach to automation of one the riskiest autonomous man?uvres involving vehicles - overtaking. The approach is based on a stereo vision system responsible for detecting any preceding vehicle and triggering the autonomous overtaking man?uvre. To this end, a fuzzy-logic based controller was developed to emulate how humans overtake. Its input is information from the vision system and from a positioning-based system consisting of a differential global positioning system (DGPS) and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Its output is the generation of action on the vehicle's actuators, i.e., the steering wheel and throttle and brake pedals. The system has been incorporated into a commercial Citroen car and tested on the private driving circuit at the facilities of our research center, CAR, with different preceding vehicles - a motorbike, car, and truck - with encouraging results.