Visual incremental turn detector

Abstract

A visual gyroscope system for detecting turns and straight line travel of a vehicle includes a visual image detector mounted on the vehicle, for producing sequential and successive digitized image data strips containing information identifying scenery about the vehicle at associated successive locations along the route travelled, A processor is programmed to extract from image detector each successive pair of image data strips, and rotate the second occurring strip of each pair until it matches the first occurring strip to obtain the incremental rotation and direction of rotation of the vehicle in its travel between strips. The incremental rotations between strips are accumulated and summed to obtain the total rotation upon completion of a turn, and along with the direction of rotation, identification of a right turn, left turn, u-turn, or straight line travel. Dead reckoning navigation is also provided via the inclusion of an odometer, for providing distance readings for the distance travelled between each successive image data strip.