Graffiti & Antigraffiti

Anche nelle città romane l’uomo scriveva sui muri. Nella nostra epoca il fenomeno ha assunto dimensioni sempre più vaste, in stretta connessione con le contraddizioni delle metropoli e sotto la forte influenza della comunicazione di massa. Si tratta spesso di un vero e proprio inquinamento grafico che non risparmia neppure i monumenti più importanti. Le grandi città si sono dovute dotare di apposite strutture per far fronte al fenomeno. Una recente giornata di studio organizzata dall’Università di ROMA TRE con il Comune di Roma ha discusso il tema partendo dalle difficoltà che hanno le amministrazioni pubbliche a mettere in atto procedure operative capaci di dare risposte a un fenomeno sociale che si presenta al tempo stesso come espressione di libertà e come gesto di sopraffazione. Tra i due estremi del lassismo e della repressione, il fenomeno viene controllato, ma non governato. Il Convegno attuale parte dalle conclusioni della precedente giornata di studi per mettere in risalto gli aspetti eminentemente tecnici collegati agli interventi messi in atto per contrastare il fenomeno. Ciò anche alla luce del recente progetto di ricerca Europea “Graffitage” relativo alla messa a punto di un nuovo sistema antigraffiti. Viene fatta una panoramica a lungo raggio del fenomeno e degli interventi in alcuni principali Paesi Europei e Città Italiane. Vengono analizzati i materiali usati dai writers, gli antigraffiti e le tecniche di intervento di rimozione dei graffiti. Una tavola rotonda, cui parteciperanno i rappresentanti di alcuni importanti Comuni Italiani concluderà il Convegn

A Stereo Vision System For Real-Time Automotive Obstacle Detection

This work presents a system for obstacle detection in pair of images acquired by a stereo vision device installed on a moving vehicle. The whole system is structured in a pipeline of two different computational engines: a massively parallel architecture, PAPRICA, devoted to low-level image processing and a traditional serial architecture running medium-level tasks. A geometrical transformation, based on the assumption of a flat road in front of the vehicle, is performed to remove the perspective effect from both images. The difference between the results is used for the detection of freespace in front of the vehicle, thus allowing to avoid the high computational tasks involved in traditional stereo vision approaches; the geometrical transformation is performed by a specific hardware device integrated in PAPRICA architecture. The system was tested on MOB-LAB experimental land vehicle, which was driven for more than 3000 km along extra-urban roads and freeways at speeds up to 80 km/h, a..

Performance Analysis of a Low-Cost Solution to Vision-Based Obstacle Detection

Since one of the main requirements for Road Following and Platooning functionalities is the robust detection of obstacles and other vehicles on the path, a deep analysis of the performance of Obstacle Detection is imperative. This paper presents a critical analysis of the obstacle detection functionality integrated onto the ARGO experimental vehicle, whose main characteristics are its low cost and the use of visual information only. Many tests have been performed on different obstacles -- with varying shape and size -- located in front of the vehicle in a number of different positions. The algorithm has been executed and the results collected and analyzed. This paper surveys the sets of results obtained so far, highlights its characteristics, and discusses the main advantages and problems of such a solution

The MilleMiglia in Automatico Tour: Results and Critical Analysis

This paper describes the extensive test that has been performed to validate the vision-based automatic vehicle guidance system developed within the ARGO project at the University of Parma. After a brief introduction dealing with the main characteristics of the system installed onto the ARGO vehicle, the paper describes the 'MilleMiglia in Automatico' tour, its schedule and features. Finally the paper discusses the results collected during the tour and analyzes possible solutions that may be implemented in the future to make the system more robust with respect to the problems encountered during the test

Development And Test Of An Intelligent Vehicle Prototype

This paper presents the current status of the ARGO Project, whose main target is the development of an active safety system and an automatic pilot for a standard road vehicle. First the ARGO project is briefly described along with its main objectives and goals; then the autonomous vehicle prototype and its functionalities are presented. An overview of the computer vision algorithms for the detection of lane markings, generic obstacles, leading vehicles and pedestrians is given