Object Detection and Measurement Using Stereo Images

This paper presents an improved method for detecting objects in stereo images and of calculating the distance, size and speed of these objects in real time. This can be achieved by applying a standard background subtraction method on the left and right image, subsequently a method known as subtraction stereo calculates the disparity of detected objects. This calculation is supported by several additional parameters like the center of object, the color distribution and the object size. The disparity is used to verify the plausibility of detected objects and to calculate the distance and position of this object. Out of position and distance the size of the object can be extracted, additionally the speed of objects can be calculated when tracked over several frames. A dense disparity map produced during the learning phase serves as additional possibility to improve the detection accuracy and reliability.