Tesla Motors Club
Daytime running lights are required in many territories.
Likewise some countries use retroreflective lane markers (catseyes) along with painted lines, rather than Bott's dots.
Here's the idea:
Add IR LEDs to the Daytime running light assembly.
These IR LEDs shine a high frequency coded signal down the road in front of the car.
Any retroreflective markers will reflect the IR signal, but the phase/timing of the returning signal will vary with distance to the marker.
Since digital cameras are sensitive to IR, the front facing cameras will be able to read these signals and pass them on for appropriate processing as part of the camera images.
System would probably need higher framerates.
Processing would have to deal with other retroreflective objects - roadside signs, pylons, hi-vis jackets, retroreflectors on the sides/backs of other vehicles etc.
The digital IR signal could be unique to a vehicle so that the system isn't confused when, say, two Teslas overtake or pass each other.
Obviously it won't work in snow or rain or on roads without catseyes
Likewise some countries use retroreflective lane markers (catseyes) along with painted lines, rather than Bott's dots.
Here's the idea:
Add IR LEDs to the Daytime running light assembly.
These IR LEDs shine a high frequency coded signal down the road in front of the car.
Any retroreflective markers will reflect the IR signal, but the phase/timing of the returning signal will vary with distance to the marker.
Since digital cameras are sensitive to IR, the front facing cameras will be able to read these signals and pass them on for appropriate processing as part of the camera images.
System would probably need higher framerates.
Processing would have to deal with other retroreflective objects - roadside signs, pylons, hi-vis jackets, retroreflectors on the sides/backs of other vehicles etc.
The digital IR signal could be unique to a vehicle so that the system isn't confused when, say, two Teslas overtake or pass each other.
Obviously it won't work in snow or rain or on roads without catseyes