Psychophysics Study on LED Flicker Artefacts for Automotive Digital Mirror Replacement Systems

Abstract

LED flicker artefacts, caused by unsynchronized irradiation from a pulse-width modulated LED light source captured by a digital camera sensor with discrete exposure times, place new requirements for both visual and machine vision systems. While latter need to capture relevant information from the light source only in a limited number of frames (e.g. a flickering traffic light), human vision is sensitive to illumination modulation in viewing applications, e.g. digital mirror replacement systems. In order to quantify flicker in viewing applications with KPIs related to human vision, we present a novel approach and results of a psychophysics study on the effect of LED flicker artefacts. Diverse real-world driving sequences have been captured with both mirror replacement cameras and a front viewing camera and potential flicker light sources have been masked manually. Synthetic flicker with adjustable parameters is then overlaid on these areas and the flickering sequences are presented to test persons in a driving environment. Feedback from the testers on flicker perception in different viewing areas, sizes and frequencies are collected and evaluated.