Pedestrian-detection system could reduce road fatalities

The forward-looking pedestrian-detection and accident-mitigation system does this by using advanced signal processing algorithms to fuse data from video camera and radar sensors, in combination with electronic stability control (ESC), to automatically brake a vehicle.

In a statement, Martin Thoone, vice-president, electronics engineering at TRW, said: ‘When vehicles collide with pedestrians, the risk of serious injury or death is very high.

‘According to statistics, a pedestrian has an 85 per cent chance of death when involved in a motor-vehicle collision at 40mph, a 45 per cent chance of death at 30mph and a five per cent chance of death at 20mph.

‘Active pedestrian-detection systems — which can automatically slow the vehicle to reduce the impact speed or even avoid the collision — can therefore help to significantly improve the pedestrian’s chance of survival.’

TRW said its forward-looking pedestrian detection system fuses sensor information from its scalable video camera with its 24GHz radar data. If a pedestrian is detected in front of the vehicle by the camera and confirmed by the radar, risk-assessment algorithms are employed to determine the probability of a collision.