The article presents selected issues regarding the method of assessing visibility conditions and photometric parameters of tram headlight beams, taking into account the specifics of their operation in urban traffic. The new method for assessing good visibility conditions is based on a psycho-physical model and contrast analysis using wavelet transform. The level of advancement of the proposed method is higher compared to a simple approach based on local contrast calculations. The method is based on the β-spline wavelet transform in image analysis for assessing good visibility. The main scientific problem in the article boils down to selecting the appropriate image smoothing function for the proposed method.
INTRODUCTION
The development of tram lighting in Poland has progressed in parallel with the design solutions for lighting devices used in motor vehicles.
Designers of automotive lighting devices are developing the construction of lighting equipment in terms of functionality and style. Research work is being conducted to improve the quality of vision in conditions of limited visibility through the use of modern lighting systems. The proposed systems are related both to the improvement of light sources and to new solutions aimed at improving the visibility of obstacles in front of the vehicle. These systems introduce ultraviolet or infrared radiation beams into the space in front of the vehicle to improve the reflective characteristics of obstacles on the road and to provide visual information to the driver.
In trams, to the author’s knowledge, no new solutions of this type are being introduced.
The illumination of the area in front of the tram by headlights or main projectors has a fundamental impact on the driver’s quality of vision and significantly affects work comfort, especially in difficult weather conditions, complex traffic situations, and in suburban areas.
The quality of the illumination of the area in front of the tram also affects the traffic safety of other road users [1]. Most traffic incidents are directly related to the driver’s limited field of vision and the reduction of contrasts in front of the moving tram. The limited range of vision caused by the high dispersion of the light flux of the headlights or projectors in the atmosphere surrounding the vehicle also has an impact on the safety and comfort of the driver’s work. (…)
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Source: Logistyka Magazine 4/2011