Omni-Directional Picture Database Using Probe Cars

This paper introduces a database system that stores omni-directional pictures collected by probe cars. This database assists drivers in finding correct routes using realistic pictures or landscapes. In this system, an omni-directional camera is mounted onto a probe car and the probe car uploads pictures to a probe center. The center processes these pictures and creates a database with the position and direction of the probe cars. This database, accessed by other clients including personal computers and automobile displays, contains landscapes where probe cars ran. We stored the data in a relational database, and related the corrected data to geographical information. This relational data enables clients accessing the system to enjoy a virtual walk-through picture. This paper discusses the design and development of the software for the system and proposes an application using this system.