Near Real-time Road Centerline Extraction

In this paper a new GPS/INS/CCD integrated system for precise monitoring of highway center and edge lines is presented. The system has been developed at The Ohio State University (OSU) for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The positioning component of the system is based on tightly integrated GPS/INS (dual frequency GPS receiver and a high-accuracy strapdown INS), and the imaging component comprises a fast, color digital camera from Pulnix (TMC-6700, based on 644 by 482 CCD, with the acquisition rate up to 30 Hz), installed in a down-looking position. The high image rate provides sufficient overlap of the subsequent images at reduced highway speed. The stereo image data processing is supported in near real-time by on-the-fly navigation solution. In this paper, we discuss the design, algorithmic solution and operational aspects, as well as the calibration and performance analysis of the developed system. Feasibility of the application of real-time navigation data to on-the-fly image processing is also presented. In particular, a performance analysis of the integrated system, based on reference ground control, is discussed.