As the threat of terrorism becomes more prevalent, the need for technological innovations for tighter security rises. Some of the areas where security needs to be increased are at border customs stations, airports, federal buildings, embassies, sporting events, and the like where checkpoints are being set up to inspect vehicles coming onto the premises. The proposed vehicle inspection system uses an array of cameras and mosaicing techniques to generate different perspective views that provide a 3D representation of a vehicle’s undercarriage. These mosaics allow a complete inspection of the undercarriage using a graphical user interface without requiring the use of inspection mirrors or the vehicle to drive over a manned inspection bay. The system is designed for simplicity so that operators will not require long training periods.
Paul E. Dickson, James Li, Zhigang Zhu, Allen R. H