STRATEGY ANALYTICS: Traffic Sign Recognition Offers Additional Driver Safety
BOSTON–The Strategy Analytics Insight, “Windshield
Cameras Offer Potential Growth For Traffic Sign Recognition Systems,”
reports on how the growth in front windshield cameras, used in Lane
Departure Warning Systems (LDWS), will support the development of
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) systems.
While challenges exist in the practical deployment of TSR, such as
international cross-border driving, Strategy Analytics predicts that
TSR
may become as popular as LDWS by 2020. For example, sign recognition
can
prevent the driver from exceeding the speed limit and may also
prevent
driving in the wrong direction on highways, which has been a cause of
fatal, head-on collisions.
This year saw the first deployment of TSR on the new BMW 7-Series
sedan,
the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan and the Opel (GM Europe) Insignia. By
using the same image sensor currently deployed for lane departure
warnings, TSR enables OEMs to offer an additional safety feature at
comparatively little extra cost. Yet, despite advances in software
algorithms, challenges still remain because of different languages,
signage conventions and measuring systems operating in different auto
markets.
“While such challenges exist, they are not insurmountable,” according
to
the author of this Insight, Kevin Mak, Industry Analyst of the
Strategy
Analytics Automotive Electronics Service. “TSR has the potential to
grow
on the back of LDWS, with the possibility of imposed mandates as a
result of current safety research programs, such as eSafety, led by
the
European Commission.”
