Browse Publications Technical Papers 2024-28-0124
2024-12-05

Visible Light Range finding and Object Detection using Automotive LEDs. 2024-28-0124

In response to the escalating issues induced by road traffic—such as accidents, pollution, and congestion—vehicles are increasingly being equipped with intelligent assistance systems. Although the ultimate goal is full autonomy, the vehicles of the near future will likely be self-driving, particularly those equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Level 3 and higher. These systems primarily use RADAR, LIDAR, and cameras for vehicle safety. However, LIDAR faces several challenges, including high maintenance costs, poor performance in adverse weather conditions, and high-power consumption. In this paper, we propose an innovative, simple, low-cost visible light ranging system. The system utilizes the existing LEDs in vehicles as transmitters and a receiver module comprising a high-speed avalanche photodiode, amplifiers, filters, automatic gain control (AGC), and a signal processing unit to calculate the range of detected objects. A high-frequency pulse is superimposed onto the constant current driving the LED, and the receiver module denoises the received pulse to calculate the object's distance based on the Time-of-Flight (ToF) principle. The proposed system can detect objects at distances of up to 8 to 10 meters with a range resolution of 0.25 meters. By leveraging the automotive LEDs present in vehicles for both ranging and illumination purposes, this system can serve as a redundant feature in ADAS Level 3 and beyond, alongside radar and camera systems. Its low cost and reduced hardware requirements compared to LIDAR make it a viable alternative for enhancing vehicle safety and efficiency.

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