A driver assistance apparatus includes a camera provided in a vehicle and configured to acquire an image; and a processor configured to process the image. The camera includes an image sensor; and a variable lens that includes a liquid crystal layer and configured to alter light that is introduced into the image sensor based on an arrangement of liquid crystal molecules included in the liquid crystal layer. The arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is dependent on an applied voltage.

A vehicular collision avoidance system includes a remote communicator disposed exterior and remote from the vehicle and operable to communicate information regarding location and motion of the remote communicator relative to the vehicle. A receiver at the vehicle receives a communication from the remote communicator, and a control at the vehicle includes a processor that processes information communicated by the remote communicator and received at the receiver. The control, responsive to processing communicated information, determines the location and motion of the remote communicator relative to the vehicle. A side sensing device is disposed at a side of the vehicle and operable to capture data, which is processed to determine approach of the remote communicator to the vehicle. Data captured by the side sensing device and information communicated by the remote communicator are processed at the control to determine a potential collision between the remote communicator and the vehicle.

A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle such as commuter bus, which includes one or more exterior and/or interior sensing devices positioned strategically around the exterior and interior of the vehicle for recording data, method for avoiding collisions and/or detecting pedestrians, and features/articles of manufacture for improving same, is described herein in various embodiments. The sensing devices may be responsive to one or more situational sensors, and may be connected to one or more interior and/or exterior warning systems configured to alert a driver inside the vehicle and/or a pedestrian outside the vehicle that a collision may be possible and/or imminent based on a path of the vehicle and/or a position of the pedestrian as detected by one or more sensing devices and/or situational sensors.

A safety system for a load carrying machine comprising: a controller, a location sensing arrangement in electronic communication with the processor, the location sensing arrangement configured to determine a location parameter of a load, a monitoring arrangement, the controller configured to receive the location parameter and determine a projected area of the load and control the monitoring arrangement to focus on the projected area to monitor the projected area.

A method for signaling a driving intention of an autonomous vehicle is provided. The method includes steps of: a driving intention signaling device (a) detecting a pedestrian ahead of the autonomous vehicle using surroundings video images, and determining whether the pedestrian crosses a roadway using a virtual crosswalk; (b) if the pedestrian crosses the roadway, estimating a crosswalking trajectory, corresponding to an expected path of the pedestrian, by referring to a moving trajectory of the pedestrian, setting a driving plan of the autonomous vehicle referring to driving information and the crosswalking trajectory, and allowing the autonomous vehicle to self-drive by the driving plan; and (c) determining whether the pedestrian pays attention to the autonomous vehicle by referring to gaze patterns and, if not, allowing delivery of the driving intention to the pedestrian and/or a nearby driver, via an external display and/or an external speaker.

A surrounding vehicle display device includes: a surrounding information detection device that obtains information on surroundings of a host vehicle; and a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the host vehicle. The surrounding vehicle display device includes a controller that uses the information obtained by the surrounding information detection device to generate a virtual image that indicates the surroundings of the host vehicle as being viewed from above the host vehicle and a display displays the virtual image. The controller makes a display region of at least a rear region around the host vehicle on the virtual image wide when the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is higher than a low vehicle speed.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object in front of a vehicle. In one implementation, an object detecting system includes an image capture device configured to acquire a plurality of images of an area, a data interface, and a processing device programmed to compare a first image to a second image to determine displacement vectors between pixels, to search for a region of coherent expansion that is a set of pixels in at least one of the first image and the second image, for which there exists a common focus of expansion and a common scale magnitude such that the set of pixels satisfy a relationship between pixel positions, displacement vectors, the common focus of expansion, and the common scale magnitude, and to identify presence of a substantially upright object based on the set of pixels.

An apparatus for preventing a pedestrian collision accident, a system having the same, and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes a pedestrian sensing unit that senses a pedestrian moving into a dangerous area and calculates velocity and direction information of the pedestrian. A communication unit transmits the velocity and direction information of the pedestrian to a surrounding vehicle. A time-to-collision (TTC) calculating unit calculates a TTC using velocity and direction information of a subject vehicle and second velocity and direction information of the pedestrian, when the TTC calculating unit receives the second velocity and direction information of the pedestrian from another vehicle. A controller outputs based on the TTC a warning to a driver of the subject vehicle or the pedestrian.

An image generation apparatus includes an image processor and a detector. The image processor generates a composite image viewed from at least one virtual viewpoint, and outputs the generated composite image to a display. The detector detects an indication of a driver intention to drive the host vehicle to a right or to a left relative to a travelling direction of the host vehicle. The image processor generates the composite image viewed from a virtual viewpoint located in front of the host vehicle in the travelling direction, the composite image showing a lateral surface of the host vehicle on a side corresponding to the detected indication of the driver intention. Thus, it is possible to make it easier to check a situation at a time of a right turn, a left turn, or a travelling direction change.

A surrounding monitoring apparatus obtains the position of a pedestrian contained in an image captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle on the basis of the position of the pedestrian in the image, and determines, on the basis of the obtained position, whether or not the possibility of collision with the pedestrian is high. In the apparatus, an error in extracting the pedestrian position may increase temporarily. In view of this, when the magnitude of change in a position correlation value representing the position of the pedestrian per a predetermined time (position change amount) exceeds a change amount upper limit value, the apparatus modifies the position correlation value such that the position change amount becomes equal to the change amount upper limit value and determines, on the basis of the modified position correlation value, whether or not the possibility of collision with the pedestrian is high.