Rear-Stitched View Panorama: A low-power embedded implementation for smart rear-view mirrors on vehicles

Automobiles are currently equipped with a three-mirror system for rear-view visualization. The two side-view mirrors show close the periphery on the left and right sides of the vehicle, and the center rear-view mirror is typically adjusted to allow the driver to see through the vehicle's rear windshield. This three-mirror system, however, imposes safety concerns in requiring drivers to shift their attention and gaze to look in each mirror to obtain a full visualization of the rear-view surroundings, which takes attention off the scene in front of the vehicle. We present an alternative to the three-mirror rear-view system, which we call Rear-Stitched View Panorama (RSVP). The proposed system uses four rear-facing cameras, strategically placed to overcome the traditional blind spot problem, and stitches the feeds from each camera together to generate a single panoramic view, which can display the entire rear surroundings. We project individually captured frames onto a single virtual view using precomputed system calibration parameters. Then we determine optimal seam lines, along which the images are fused together to form the single RSVP view presented to the driver. Furthermore, we highlight techniques that enable efficient embedded implementation of the system and showcase a real-time system utilizing under 2W of power, making it suitable for in-cabin deployment in vehicles.