An Assessment of Infrared and Millimeter-wave Imaging For Traffic Surveillance and Detection

This project evaluated infrared and passive millimeter-wave imaging technologies for their potential applicability to traffic surveillance and automated detection. Images formed from radiation at infrared and millimeter wavelengths are characterized by fundamentally different information compared with visible-spectrum images, and generally improved ability to penetrate obscured atmospheres such as fog or dust. A key motivation for this study was the overwhelming acceptance of conventional video cameras deployed for highway surveillance and traffic management. Under conditions of fog, snow, rain, dust, or smoke, and at times of low natural illumination, visible image sensing may be inadequate. Yet, it is precisely in these low-visibility conditions that the greatest need exists for reliable surveillance, especially if the objective is the recognition of impending dangerous traffic situations.