Modeling, evaluation and control of a road image processing chain

Abstract

Tuning a complete image processing chain (IPC) remains a tricky step. Until now researchers focused on the evaluation of single algorithms, based on a small number of test images and ad hoc tuning independent of input data. In this paper we explain how, by combining statistical modeling with design of experiments, numerical optimization and neural learning, it is possible to elaborate a powerful and adaptive IPC. To succeed, it is necessary to build a large image database, to describe input images and finally to evaluate the IPC output. By testing this approach on an IPC dedicated to road obstacle detection, we demonstrate that this experimental methodology and software architecture ensure a steady efficiency. The reason is simple: the IPC is globally optimized, from a large number of real images (180 out of a sequence of 30 000) and with adaptive processing of input data © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.