Modular Traffic Sign Recognition applied to on-vehicle real-time visual detection of American and European speed limit signs

International audienceWe present a new modular traffic signs recognition system, successfully applied to both American and European speed limit signs. Our sign detection step is based only on shape-detection (rectangles or circles). This enables it to work on grayscale images, contrary to most European competitors, which eases robustness to illumination conditions (notably night operation). Speed sign candidates are classified (or rejected) by segmenting potential digits inside them (which is rather original and has several advantages), and then applying a neural digit recognition. The global detection rate is ~90% for both (standard) U.S. and E.U. speed signs, with a misclassification rate 150 minutes of video. The system processes in real-time ~20 frames/s on a standard high-end laptop

Human walking behavior: the effect of pedestrian flow and personal space invasions on walking speed and direction

Humans have a natural desire to keep a certain spatial distance to other humans, called personal space (Hall, 1966). If personal space is invaded without consent physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, sweating, and increased blood pressure are triggered (Middlemist et al., 1976). Using a newly developed system called CCB Analyser the walking pa!erns of pedestrians in an Austrian shopping center were recorded. Data included number of people, average speed, speed changes, direction changes, and two different measures for personal space, one being personal space in circles around stationary #ames and the other being personal space for pedestrians integrating the paths ahead. Results show that people walk faster when personal space is invaded, and walking speed and direction are changed to a higher degree at high pedestrian $ow. %ese results show how crowded situations require behavioral changes and offer an important insight into the relationship of human walking behavior and personal space