Detection of vehicles in panoramic range image

It is important to assess street-parking vehicles causing traffic problems in urban areas. However, assessments are performed manually and at high cost. Developing a detection system of those vehicles is a top priority for reducing cost and avoiding human error. We propose a detection method using a laser-range finder and a line-scan camera. In the detection method, two kinds of cluster analyses are applied to laser-range points: one is for clustering laser-range points at each scan, and the other for clustering laser-range points over several scans. Each cluster of laser-range points indicates a vehicle. As a result of verification experiments in real roads, a detection rate reached 90%.