Advanced curve speed warning system using standard GPS technology and road-level mapping information

Lane departure and advance curve warning are critical among several Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) functions, which have significant potential to reduce crashes. Generally, lane departure and advance curve speed warning systems either use different image processing techniques or GPS technology with digital maps of lane-level resolution. However, these systems are expensive to implement as well as have some limitations such as harsh weather or irregular lane markings can negatively influence their performance. Previously we proposed a lane departure detection which uses a standard GPS receiver without any lane-level resolution maps. Now, we have added another feature in this algorithm to detect an upcoming curve in advance and warn the driver about its advisory speed at a safe distance so that driver can adjust vehicle speed accordingly before reaching the curve. We have implemented our algorithm in a prototype system and demonstrated in the field. We have performed extensive field tests and the test results show that each time vehicle approaches a curve, our algorithm issues a warning and correctly determines the advisory speed for the curve to warn the driver at a safe distance before the curve starts.