ENG09026 2017 Environment Detection

Assess optical radiation, radiometric and photometric quantities.

Explain the physical and technical foundations of visible and infrared spectrum camera systems and their role in the automotive environment.

Summarise the functional characteristics and properties of modern Lidar, Radar, Ultrasonic and other relevant sensor systems and their applications in environment detection.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknessess of sensing technologies for specific applications in autonomous vehicles.

Select and develop suitable detection systems for specific applications in the automotive environment.

This module will be delivered via a mixture of Lectures and Research Assignments

An end of semester written exam and two assignments will be given to assess the module.

The assignments will be designed in such a way as to familiarise the student with the skills of understanding an engineering issue; reviewing literature for multiple solutions; comparing and contrasting those solutions and then communicating their conclusions coherently.


The student is required to pass both the assessment and written exam elements of this module.

Repeat project work and exams can be submitted at the repeat exam series each year.

Light, polarisation, radiometry, human vision, sources of optical radiation, photodetectors, time of flight methods for optical surround detection (LO1, LO2, LO3)

CCD and CMOS Image sensor technologies, monocular and stereo camera systems, depth perception, visible and infrared camera technologies and applications in environment detection (LO2, LO3)

Functional characteristics of Lidar, Radar, Ultrasonic, MEMs and other relevant sensing technologies (LO3)

Sensor applications, strengths and weaknesses for multiple use cases in automotive environment detection (LO4, LO5)

Noise and occlusion handling, calibration (LO3, LO4, LO5)

Novel and future sensing technologies (LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5)