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      Traffic Signs Recognition

      CarTrade Editorial Team

      CarTrade Editorial Team

      Traffic sign recognition (TSR) is an advanced technology that warns, prohibits and commands a driver for certain actions. Automatic traffic sign recognition significantly increases safety and driver’s convenience and comfort. The first generation TSR systems, came in late 2008, were developed by Continental AG and Mobileye.

      Traffic signs recognition
      Traffic signs recognition

      These systems are compatible to recognize European speed limits signs only. While the second generation systems can identify overtaking restrictions as well. This technology is used on various cars models such as Volkswagen Phaeton and Volvo V40, V60, V70, S6, X80 and XC60 for the road sign information. Though we don’t have TSR-equipped cars in India, some new high-end vehicles come with intelligent driver assistance systems.

      The traffic signs recognition systems have been developed into two phases. The first is the traffic signs detection in a video or image by using image processing. While the second is the identification of the detected signs that usually involves significance of performance in artificial neural network. Although recognition and interpretation of traffic signs and meanings in different viewing situations is still a challenge.

      The system recognizes traffic signs and symbols and displays them on the car’s instrument panel. It also flashes when the vehicle exceeds the speed limit. A TSR system uses a front facing video camera, affixed behind the rear view mirror that monitors oncoming traffic signs and displays them on the screen. Using the camera based object detection system, it can compare the data with the information received from the digital maps of the car’s navigation system and traffic servic

      TRS not only reduces the prosecution risk, but encourages maintaining a legal speed, obeying traffic instructions and safe driving as well. Using vision only information, a TSR system can recognize and interprets both fixed traffic signs and meanings and variable LED signs. However, the signs covered by trees, vehicles or any other obstacle might not be detected by the system. Cars like BMW 7-Series (model year 2008), BMW 5- Series, BMW 1- Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz S-Class come with this system in several global markets but not in India. And such features will only be feasible and make sense when we have good infrastructure support for such cars in India.