Enhanced Camera

This report describes testing equipment and procedures developed by the Center for Technology Development at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to evaluate critical attributes for cameras used in naturalistic driving research. A survey of VTTI researchers was conducted to determine the most important attributes and known issues from past naturalistic driving studies. The data collected were used to design and build a camera testing apparatus and a field of view (FOV) testing apparatus that allow the standardized testing of a number of important attributes, including image clarity, black and white versus color display, FOV, and the quality of the image under various lighting conditions. The camera testing apparatus also has the ability to detect infrared (IR) sources in cameras. In addition, this report includes a set of recommended methods for testing system resolution using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12233 standard test target and image sharpness using free software or commercial software that would provide increased accuracy and decreased training times. Procedures are also described for testing environmental factors such as temperature range, temperature cycling, and immersion.