Road-Region Detection by Computing Homography Matrix Using Stereo Images

Abstract

Detecting the road region in an observed image is an important technique for visual navigation of an autonomous vehicle. In this paper, we propose a road detection method using stereo images. The method does not rely on the existence of any specific road painting or texture. Instead, it supposes that a road (or a passable part) can be approximated by a plane. Then, a homography matrix which represents a geometric relation between the road plane and the stereo images can be computed from the stereo images. And the road region can be detected in the observed image by transforming one image by the homography matrix and simple matching. In this method, neither a predetermined geometric relation between the cameras and the road nor a strong camera calibration are necessary. Experimental results with real scenes have shown the effectiveness of the proposed method.