Prospects for the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision in Transport Systems and Connected Cars

Abstract

As statistics show, the use of artificial intelligence and machine vision for cars can significantly improve road safety. Even before self-driving vehicles dominate the road, connected vehicles with computer vision-based ADAS will dramatically reduce road accidents. New automotive technologies such as machine vision not only improve road safety, but also open new business opportunities for companies from related industries and sectors such as insurance, car sharing and driver training. Soon, the automotive market, car service services and industries close to transport will change dramatically. This means that those who invest in such developments right now will be able to seize leadership in the era of the spread of innovative technologies.In modern cars, video cameras are used not only as an alternative to the rear-view mirror but are also an important part of active safety systems. Their task, first, is to support collision protection systems through object detection. Cameras are also used to keep track of the lane, to automatically recognise road signs and traffic lights, and monitor the condition of drivers. Together with radars and lidars, they are used to control unmanned vehicles. However, these are far from all the possible areas of useful application of video cameras on board a vehicle. With development of artificial intelligence systems, a decrease in size and an increase in the power of on-board computing facilities, as well as with an increase in the throughput of mobile communications and development of cloud technologies, it becomes possible to implement new services based on video cameras and computer vision.For this reason, the objective of this article is to analyse the trends in development of artificial intelligence, computer vision systems and, considering these trends, to form a list of useful services based on them. The article provides information about what cars can «see» today, how they do it, and what useful services can be implemented for drivers, for transport organisations and for areas related to transport.