LASER RADAR MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR ROADSIDE ENCROACHMENT

WE PROPOSE A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO DESIGN A LASER RADAR SYSTEM FOR MEASURING ROADSIDE ENCROACHMENT. A SEQUENCE OF LASER PULSES IS USED TO DETERMINE THE VEHICLE'S VELOCITY, AN X-Y POSITION MAP, AND THE DISTANCE FROM THE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM. THE ROADSIDE ENCROACHMENT POSITION IS DETERMINED FROM THE X-Y MAP OF THE VEHICLE'S LOCATION. THISMAP ALSO INCLUDES INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLE SHAPE. USING SIMPLIFIED PATTERN RECOGNITION ALGORITHMS, THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE VEHICLE IS OBTAINED. THIS DATA SEQUENCE IS REPEATED AT SMALL TIME INTERVALS. FROM THE POSITION VERSUS TIME DATA, THE ANGLE OF DEPARTURE FROM THE HIGHWAY CAN BE CALCULATED AND THE POSITION OF THE ENCROACHMENT CAN BE OBTAINED. THE GOAL OF PHASE I IS TO DESIGN THE SYSTEM FOR TECHNICAL MERIT, EASE OF USE AND SAFETY. PHASE II GOALS WOULD BE TO BUILD AND TEST THE SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO GENERATE HIGH RESOLUTION VELOCITYAND POSITION DATA. SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR ROADSIDE ENCROACHMENT MEASUREMENTS, COLLISIONAVOIDANCE, TRAFFIC CONTROL AND MONITORING. COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDE AUTOMATIC CONTROL AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE FOR ALL VEHICLES (CARS, TRAINS, ETC.).