Automatic vehicle classification system with range sensors

Traffic management systems use inductive loop detectors and more recently v ideo cameras to detect vehicles. Loop detectors are expensive to maintain a nd video-based systems are sensitive to environmental conditions and do not perform well in vehicle classification. Cameras based upon range sensors a re not sensitive to lighting and may be less sensitive to other environment al conditions. In addition, range imagery should provide data to form a goo d basis for vehicle classification applications. In this paper, we describe methods for processing range imagery and performing vehicle detection and classification. A vehicle classification rate of over 92% accuracy was obta ined in classifying vehicles into different vehicle classes. (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.