The problem of estimating occupancy grids to support automotive driving applications using LiDAR sensor point clouds is considered. We formulate the problem as a sparse binary occupancy value reconstruction problem. Our proposed occupancy grid estimation method is based on pattern-coupled sparse Bayesian learning and exploits the inherent sparsity and spatial occupancy dependencies in LiDAR sensor measurements. The proposed method demonstrates enhanced detection capabilities compared to commonly used benchmark methods, as observed through testing on scenes from the nuScenes dataset.@en

Automotive perception involves understanding the external driving environment and the internal state of the vehicle cabin and occupants using sensor data. It is critical to achieving high levels of safety and autonomy in driving. This article provides an overview of different sensor modalities, such as cameras, radars, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) used commonly for perception, along with the associated data processing techniques. Critical aspects of perception are considered, such as architectures for processing data from single or multiple sensor modalities, sensor data processing algorithms and the role of machine learning techniques, methodologies for validating the performance of perception systems, and safety. The technical challenges for each aspect are analyzed, emphasizing machine learning approaches, given their potential impact on improving perception. Finally, future research opportunities in automotive perception for their wider deployment are outlined.

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People-counting data can be used in building-control systems to improve comfort and in space management applications to optimize building space. In this work, we consider a combi-sensor with a single-pixel thermopile and passive infrared sensor for people counting. We first develop a thermopile signal model for object temperature measurements under multiple people occupancy. We then propose a people counting method based on: cumulative sum (CUSUM) change detection in the object temperature signal, forming a people count estimate using likelihoods of differential mean temperature in detected changes, and decision fusion with an infrared vacancy sensor. The proposed method is evaluated with data generated using the developed signal model as well as experimental data from a cell office/meeting room environment. We obtain an average counting error of 0.11 and 0.19 for 90% of the instants respectively when considering 15 minute windows for simulated and experimental datasets.@en

Smart indoor lighting systems use occupancy and light sensor data to adapt artificial lighting in accordance with changing occupancy and daylight conditions. Such systems can be designed to reduce lighting energy consumption significantly. However, these systems cannot account for individual user preferences at the workplace in real time. We propose a sensor-driven, human-in-the-loop lighting system that incorporates user feedback in addition to occupancy and light sensor inputs. In this system, luminaires transmit unique visible light communication identifier signals. By processing the image captured by a smartphone camera, a user obtains two pieces of information: visible light communication identifiers of luminaires in the vicinity and average image pixel value. A control algorithm is designed that incorporates these user inputs along with occupancy and light sensor inputs to determine the dimming levels of the luminaires to achieve illumination levels acceptable to users. We compare the performance of the proposed lighting control system with a sensor-driven lighting control system in an office test bed.@en

Indoor lighting systems need to be designed to balance energy consumption and the visual comfort of occupants. Achieving this goal with multiple luminaires and sensors is, however, not a simple problem. Lighting control systems need to adjust the dimming levels of luminaires in real time based on occupancy conditions and external daylight changes. We propose a system based on visible light communication to monitor and control artificial lighting in a robust manner. In our system, luminaires modulate the emitted light to broadcast basic control information while fulfilling their main purpose of illumination. Based on the broadcasted information, luminaires use collocated light sensors to estimate the optical channel gains and daylight contributions. This information is then used in a control algorithm to determine the dimming levels of luminaires under specified illumination constraints. We provide an analytical framework, simulations, and an empirical evaluation of our approach in an office space. We compare our method with a state-of-art lighting control system that uses radio transceivers to communicate information, and thus, cannot monitor optical channels in real time. Our results show that while the radio-based system may underilluminate and even oscillate around the desired illumination due to large reflectance changes in the environment, our method provides stable illumination close to desired levels.
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