An Independent Measurement System 

for Performance Evaluation of Road 

Departure Crash Warning Systems

Sandor Szabo

Richard Norcross

U.S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Intelligent Systems Division

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230

NISTIR 7287
NISTIR 7287

An Independent Measurement System 

for Performance Evaluation of Road 

Departure Crash Warning Systems

Sandor Szabo

Richard Norcross

U.S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Technology Administration

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Intelligent Systems Division

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230 

January 2006

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

William Jeffrey, Director
An Independent Measurement System for Performance 

Evaluation of Road Departure Crash Warning Systems 

January 3, 2006 

Prepared By: 

Sandor Szabo and Richard Norcross 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8230 

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230 

This document was prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation under interagency agreement 

DTFH61-00-Y-30132. Send comments and/or questions to sandor.szabo@nist.gov. 

Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document in order to describe 

an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply 

recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended 

to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. 
This page blank for two-side printings. 
Table of Contents 

1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 1 

2 Data Collection System............................................................................................... 3 

3 Camera Calibration Setup........................................................................................... 5 

3.1 Side View Calibration Sticks.............................................................................. 6 

3.2 Front View Calibration Sticks ............................................................................ 6 

4 Camera Calibration ..................................................................................................... 8 

4.1 Creating the Calibration Video ........................................................................... 8 

4.2 Using the Calibration Program ........................................................................... 8 

4.2.1 Load Calibration Image .............................................................................. 9 

4.2.2 Crop Calibration Image............................................................................. 10 

4.2.3 User define cal points................................................................................ 12 

4.2.4 Learn Calibration ...................................................................................... 15 

4.2.5 Check Calibration ..................................................................................... 15 

4.2.6 Save Calibration........................................................................................ 15 

4.2.7 Return........................................................................................................ 15 

4.3 Considerations for Calibrating the Front View................................................. 15 

4.4 Creating an INI File for the Video Calibration................................................. 16 

4.5 Calibration Verification .................................................................................... 17 

5 Data Processing......................................................................................................... 19 

5.1 Time codes........................................................................................................ 19 

5.2 Video and Data Timing..................................................................................... 21 

5.3 Creating the avi file using Adobe Premier........................................................ 22 

5.4 Creating the INI file.......................................................................................... 26 

5.5 Creating the VMS (GPS) file............................................................................ 27 

6 AnalyzeData Main Control Panel ............................................................................. 28 

6.1 Starting and Stopping........................................................................................ 28 

6.2 Video Frame Controls....................................................................................... 29 

6.3 Lateral Measurements....................................................................................... 29 

6.4 Lane Width and Vehicle Offset ........................................................................ 29 

6.5 Longitudinal Measurements.............................................................................. 30 

6.6 GPS Data........................................................................................................... 31 

6.7 Control Panels................................................................................................... 31 

7 Locating Video Based on GPS Time........................................................................ 32 

8 Lateral Drift Analysis ............................................................................................... 34 

8.1 Overview........................................................................................................... 34 

8.1.1 Warning Time ........................................................................................... 34 

8.1.2 Weather Environment ............................................................................... 34 

8.1.3 Warning Type ........................................................................................... 35 

8.1.4 Road Type................................................................................................. 35 

8.1.4.1 Marker Condition.................................................................................. 35 

8.1.4.2 Marker Color......................................................................................... 35 

8.1.4.3 Marker Type.......................................................................................... 35 

8.1.4.4 Curve Direction..................................................................................... 35 

8.1.4.5 Curve Entry/Exit ................................................................................... 36 
8.1.4.6 Freeway Indication................................................................................ 36 

8.1.4.7 AMR ..................................................................................................... 36 

8.1.4.8 AMR Type ............................................................................................ 36 

8.1.5 Vehicle’s Lane Information ...................................................................... 36 

8.1.5.1 Lane Position ........................................................................................ 37 

8.1.5.2 Lateral Velocity .................................................................................... 37 

8.1.5.3 Discrete Obstacles................................................................................. 37 

8.1.6 Warning Classifications............................................................................ 38 

8.1.6.1 Scenario Identification.......................................................................... 38 

8.1.6.2 Challenging Environment ..................................................................... 38 

8.1.6.3 Alert Ratings ......................................................................................... 39 

8.2 Positive Alert Measurement Procedure ............................................................ 39 

8.3 Negative Alert Measurement Procedure........................................................... 42 

8.4 Atmospheric/Cloud Indication.......................................................................... 42 

9 Lane Marker Contrast ............................................................................................... 45 

10 MapPoint Map Display......................................................................................... 48 

References......................................................................................................................... 50 

Appendix A Adobe Premier Notes ................................................................................... 51 

Appendix B Creating a DVD using DVDit!..................................................................... 52 

Appendix C Extracting GPS data from video using VMS and MediaMapper................. 56 

Appendix D Nonlinear Camera Calibration ..................................................................... 62 

Appendix E UTM Conversions ........................................................................................ 64 
1 

1 Introduction 

The Independent Measurement System (IMS) is a general-purpose measurement system 

developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for collecting 

and analyzing data needed for evaluation of intelligent vehicle systems. The IMS 

consists of sensors, data collection hardware and analysis software independent of the 

system under test. This provides objectivity, quality assurance and redundancy to data 

collection and testing activities. The following version of the IMS supports testing and 

performance evaluation of the road departure crash warning system (RDCWS) developed 

for a Department of Transportation Field Operation Test (FOT) under the Intelligent 

Vehicle Initiative [1]. 

In the RDCWS program Phase 1 verification test, NIST used the IMS to evaluate the 

RDCWS on a series of track-based tests. The program proceeded with Phase 2 only after 

successful verification tests. The IMS also supported a Volpe National Transportation 

Systems Center task to characterize warning system performance in on-road real-world 

conditions. NIST collected and processed data and performed analysis of lateral drift 

warning scenarios. 

This document describes the current IMS version and contains the following information: 

Section 2 describes the IMS hardware (a four-camera system with video multiplexor with 

digitally inserted DGPS and audio recorded on a digital video recorder) and installation. 

Section 3 describes the visual targets for camera calibration and their proper use. 

Section 4 describes the camera calibration process. 

Section 5 describes how evaluators process the data to produce the final video, GPS and 

support files. 

Section 6 describes the data analysis tools including controls and displays for scrolling 

through the video, plotting vehicle trajectory, viewing time and making a variety of road 

measurements. 

Section 7 describes the procedure to locate video frames taken at a specific GPS time. 

This procedure supports analysis of warning system data collected by the University of 

Michigan Transportation Research Institute data collection system (DAS). 

Section 0 describes the lateral drift warning analysis procedure used to support Volpe’s 

on-road characterization of the RDCWS. 

Section 9 describes a tool for measuring lane marker contrast. 

Section 10 describes how to display IMS data on a MapPoint map. 
2 

 

The analysis software is written in LabView. An executable-only version of the software 

is available at ftp://ftp.nist.gov/pub/mel/szabo/AnalyzeDataDistribution/. The software 

requires a run-time license from LabView. Contact Sandor Szabo 

(sandor.szabo@nist.gov) to obtain the license.
3 

2 Data Collection System 

This section describes the data collection system used during the RDCWS FOT 

verification tests from May 2003 until March 2005. 

Quad 

Multiplexer

DV 

Recorder

DGPS Receiver/Modem

forward and side cameras

dash camera cab microphone

audio 

channel

audio 

channel

NTSC 

video

Figure 1. System diagram of data collection system. 

The on-board data collection system (see Figure 1) consists of four cameras, a quad 

multiplexer, a microphone, a differential GPS (DGPS) receiver/modem and a digital 

video tape deck. Three cameras mount to a removable roof rack. Two roof cameras view 

the lanes to the right and left of the front wheels. These cameras have infrared LEDs for 

nighttime illumination. The center camera records a view similar to the warning system 

view. The fourth camera mounts to the dash and views the warning system display and 

the speedometer (useful if GPS data is not available). A microphone in the cab captures 

the audible warnings and voice feedback from the driver. 

The dash camera and audible alerts pinpoint, from the perspective of the driver, an alert 

event. Figure 2 through Figure 5 show cautionary and imminent lateral drift and curve 

speed warnings. In these figures, the upper left and right quads show the left and right 

side of the vehicle (centered on front wheels) respectively. The lower right quad shows 

the view in front of the vehicle. The lower left quad shows the warning system display 

and the dash speedometer. The IMS multiplexes the quad images with the GPS data and 

audio in real-time. Thus, the data suffers minimal errors due to misalignment of data 

streams. The recorded data correlates the vehicle position and motion with the warning 

system events. 

The box shown in Figure 6 contains the data collection system’s electronic components. 

A VMS-200 DGPS receiver/modem interfaces with a roof-mounted GPS antenna and the 

digital video (DV) recorder. The VMS outputs satellite data as an audio signal to one of 

the DV recorder’s audio channels. This function is similar to overlaying GPS data 

graphically on the video signal, except the “overlay” is in a computer readable format. 

Later, a suite of software extracts the GPS data from the tape using the VMS, performs 
4 

differential correction to the GPS data, and stores the GPS locations into a file. When 

viewing a video file, the analysis software uses the tape time to search for the DGPS 

location that corresponds to a particular video frame. 

Figure 2. Lateral drift cautionary 

warning indicated by arrow at 2 o’clock. Figure 3. Lateral drift imminent 

warning indicated by arrow at 3 o’clock. 

Figure 4. Curve speed cautionary 

warning indicated by short arrow. 

Figure 5. Curve speed imminent 

warning indicated by long arrow. 

DV Recorder GPS 

Receiver 

Video Quad

Multiplexer

Figure 6. The electronics box installed in the vehicle for data collection. 
5 

3 Camera Calibration Setup 

Camera spatial calibration defines the transformation between image points (i.e., pixel 

coordinates) and world points on the road surface surrounding the vehicle. This section 

describes the data collection procedures for the calibration process. This section primarily 

concerns the data collectors. Data users may skim this section. However, users should 

be aware of how to check the calibration as described in Section 4.5 Calibration 

Verification. 

NIST implemented two forms of calibration techniques for the RDCWS FOT. A nonlinear calibration technique took measurements over a large area (see Appendix D). 

However, the large grid system required careful assembly and handling. Although 

measurements on the grid points were accurate, the measurements between grid points 

suffered distortion. 

A simpler calibration scheme supports measurements along a single line on the ground. 

The line is a series of meter sticks (called cal sticks). The sticks have alternating black 

and white segments. The transition between black and white is a control point for 

calibration purposes. The widths of the segments vary to compensate for distortions in 

the image. Narrow segment sticks lie closer to the camera and wide segment sticks lie 

farther from the camera. Figure 7 shows the calibration sticks for the right side camera. 

The calibration uses four 1-meter sticks. The first two (starting from closest to the 

vehicle on the right side of the image) have 10 cm segments. The third and fourth sticks 

have 25 cm and 50 cm segments, respectively. Note in Figure 7 how the 50 cm segments 

appear the same width as the closest 10 cm segments. The forward calibration (Figure 8) 

uses six alternating black and white 1-meter sticks. 

Figure 7. Calibration sticks for side 

view camera. 

Figure 8. Forward camera calibration 

using one-meter sticks. 

The calibration procedure identifies the pixels corresponding to the control points (i.e., 

segments' endpoints). The computer software displays the control point pixels with red 

circles. The first circle (furthest left) correlates to 0 m from the right wheel. The last red 
6 

circle (furthest right) correlates to the combined lengths of the cal sticks or 4 m. 

Measurements in the image are valid only along the red circles. A linear interpolation 

generates the measurement value between the circles. 

3.1 Side View Calibration Sticks 

The following steps describe the camera and calibration stick set-up for the side view 

cameras on the Nissan Altima used in the FOT. 

1. Place 4 1-meter sticks end-to-end in line parallel to the front axle and adjacent to the 

front wheel (see Figure 7 for right side of vehicle). Use the sticks with alternating 10 

cm black and white segments for the two closest to the wheel. For the third and 

fourth sticks use the stick marked with 25 cm segments and 50 cm segments, 

respectively. 

2. Center the sticks vertically in the camera image. When centered, the sticks appear 

straight as opposed to parabolic (which is due to the radial distortion of the lens). 

3. Align the inside stick with camera image edge. Ensure the image includes the vehicle 

door and the mirror. The stick alignment produces ideal measurements close to the 

vehicle and the mirror provides a landmark to detect if the camera moves. (Note: for 

other vehicles, one may need to add a visual landmark.) 

4. Using a video display to view the camera output, mark the location of the mirror (or 

other visual landmark) using a fine pen to trace the mirror’s contour. If the camera 

moves later, the location of the mirror in the display will not align with the original 

tracing. Before collecting video data, verify the alignment of the mirror with the 

tracing. In most cases, if the camera moves the user can realign the camera to match 

the original tracing. If not, the user must lay down meter sticks and perform another 

calibration. 

5. Record several seconds of the calibration sticks. 

6. Rewind the video and verify recording of calibration sticks. 

7. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 for the opposite (in this case right) side view. 

3.2 Front View Calibration Sticks 

The following steps describe the camera and calibration stick set-up for the front view 

camera on the Nissan Altima used in the FOT. One significant difference from the side 

view cameras is the need to determine the translation and rotation of the sticks with 

respect to the vehicle. Another need is to have someone point to the control points since 

they may be difficult to identify in the image. 

1. Place six sticks in front of the vehicle in a straight line. Alternate a black meter and a 

white meter stick (the entire stick is the same color, not segmented). The sticks should 

lie just above the hood in the image (roughly 2 m in front). Place the sticks 

perpendicular to the vehicle heading and align the center of the six sticks with the 

center of the vehicle. 

2. Measure the distance from the rear wheel to the edge of the sticks (line C in Figure 9), 

the distance from the rear wheel to the stick closest to the front wheel (line B in 

Figure 9), and the distance from the intersection of line B with the sticks to the edge 

of the sticks (line A in Figure 9. The calibration process uses the three values to 
7 

determine the position and orientation of the cal sticks with respect to the vehicle’s 

front wheels. (Note that if not known already, the calibration requires the distance 

between the rear-wheel and the front wheel. Update the value if using a car other 

than the Nissan Altima.) 

FRONT

B

A

C

Figure 9. Three measurements to determine offset and 

rotation of front calibration stick with respect to the 

vehicle. 

3. Manually adjust the camera to vertically center the sticks in the video image. When 

centered the sticks appear straight as opposed to parabolic (which is due to the radial 

distortion of the lens). The correct position includes the vehicle’s hood and 

minimizes the sky (reduced sky limits image saturation from the sun). 

4. Horizontally center the sticks in the camera image. 

5. Using an external video display showing the camera’s output (the lower right quad), 

cover the forward image of the car’s hood with clear tape. Using a fine pen, outline 

(trace) the perimeter of the hood. Before collecting video data, verify alignment by 

comparing the hood with the traced perimeter. Realign the camera if the image does 

not align with the contour. 

6. Turn on video. 

7. Use a pointer (e.g., the white or black meter stick) and point out each control point 

(walk to each point, point at the control point and maintain for 2 seconds). 

8. Rewind the video and verify that the tape contains the calibration sticks and that the 

pointer stick is visible. It may be hard to see the bottom of the pointer stick 

depending on the background and lighting. You may have to experiment a few times 

or wait for better lighting conditions. 
8 

4 Camera Calibration 

The procedures in Section 3 generate a videotape of the calibration sticks at specific 

places around the vehicle. The procedures in this section extract data from the videotape 

and create a calibration file. The calibration file maps the quad image pixels to the GPS 

coordinates and the distance offset of the pixel from either front wheel. 

4.1 Creating the Calibration Video 

The calibration procedures use video files in the avi format. Several commercial software 

packages can translate a video image into an avi file. Section 5.3 Creating the avi file 

using Adobe Premier explains one such package. The avi file may be from a single video 

file or may be spliced from several video files but must contain video of all three sets of 

calibration sticks (left, right, and forward). 

4.2 Using the Calibration Program 

A program, written by NIST researchers, assists the extraction of calibration data from 

the avi file of the calibration sticks. The program is a LabView virtual instrument (vi) 

called “Nonlinear Calibration.vi”. The program produces the video calibration file for 

the cameras in the current position and orientation. If the camera view changes, i.e., the 

pixels do not align with the original pixels covering the calibration stick, then a new 

calibration file must be produced. 

Figure 10 shows the vi’s control panel. The buttons on the left, labeled “Calibration 

Steps” step through the calibration process. The user must execute the steps in order 

from top to bottom. The user cannot skip steps nor return to a previous step. If an error 

occurs, the user starts over by using the “Return” button. The following sections describe 

each step in the calibration process. 
9 

Calibration

Steps VCR Controls

Quadrant to

calibrate

Figure 10. Control Panel for Calibrating Video. 

4.2.1 Load Calibration Image 

Click on the “Load Calibration Image” button to load the avi file containing the 

calibration stick images. When “Ask for Calibration Image” is off (green area dark) the 

program uses the file listed in “default calibration image file”. Otherwise, the program 

displays a file-load dialog box and loads the new file into “default calibration image file”. 

To skip going through the file-load dialog box after calibrating the first quad (the process 

requires reloading the image file to calibrate each quad), turn “Ask Calibration Image” on 

for the first quad, and off for the remaining quads. The program uses the same avi file in 

the subsequent quads. When the image loads, a separate window appears with the quad 

image avi (see Figure 11). 
10 

Figure 11. The first frame of the calibration avi file. 

4.2.2 Crop Calibration Image 

The “Crop Calibration Image” button initiates a separate vi for interactively specifying 

the coordinates of one of the four quadrants. Before using the “Crop Calibration Image” 

button, the user selects the quadrant to calibrate. With the VCR controls (“File Action”), 

the user advances the avi file to a frame that contains the calibration sticks. The frame in 

Figure 11, shows the calibration sticks in the right camera view. The remainder of this 

section describes the calibration of right side view in the top right quadrant. 

 “Which quadrant?” is a radio button switch. To calibrate the top right quadrant, the user 

selects “Top Right”. (While the top left is similar, the bottom right quadrant has different 

steps described later.) 

The “Draw Rect” button initiates an interactive box to define the region of the image that 

corresponds to the top right. When this button is off, the routine uses the “Top Right 

Default” coordinates that appear off the screen to the right. The routine saves this value 

when the user turns off “Draw Rect”. If an error requires a re-run, the user can re-use the 

value without redrawing the box. 

Click on “Crop Calibration Image” to define the quadrant. The image appears in a 

window as shown in Figure 12. Use the mouse to draw a rectangle around the quadrant. 

(Note: Figure 12 shows a box around the top right quadrant.) Adjust the box with the 

handles at the box’s corners. Click on OK when finished. A dialog box asks if you 
11 

would like to reset the coordinates for this quad. Click yes and the routine changes the 

default values to the current values. Click no if there was some type of error and you do 

not wish to save these values. Afterwards, the top right quadrant appears in a separate 

window (Figure 13). 

Figure 12. The crop image control panel. 

Figure 13. The top right quadrant appears in separate window. 
12 

4.2.3 User define cal points 

The next step is to select the pixels corresponding to the endpoints of each segment in the 

meter sticks. If working with similar meter-stick configuration (for example when 

repeating a calibration or calibrating the side view cameras), turn on the “Use Default 

Cal Points” button (see Figure 10). In most cases, the button loads circles closely 

aligned with the segments. The user then moves the circles with the control panel 

arrows. The steps below describe defining the segments from scratch. Afterwards, you 

can rerun the vi and use the default cal points to experiment with adjusting the pixel 

coordinates. This is useful if you are not satisfied with the original calibration. 

When the “User define cal points” is selected, the “Get Grid Point.vi” panel pops up (see 

Figure 14) and a text box appears with reminder information. For the top right quadrant 

the box states: 

1. First grid point should be a bottom left. 

2. Check Real World Grid Dim (m) 

The first comment indicates that the first grid point should be at the left (bottom is for a 

two dimensional grid used for nonlinear calibration. The second comment reminds you 

that you must set “Real World Grid Dim (m)” to the actual distance between grid points. 

As stated above, the cal sticks vary for the side views. The user adjusts the distance value 

when the distance changes between each segment. Click OK to remove the text box and 

to start selecting the segment pixel points. 

Use VCR controls to

select desired frame

Set this to indicate distance to

next control point.

This array contains real world

coordinates of control points

This array contains pixel

coordinates of control points

Col corresponds to

control point number

Figure 14. Control panel for selecting the cal stick pixels and strip dimensions. 
13 

To pick the first segment on the calibration stick, first make sure the “Image Quad” 

window is active by clicking on the blue bar above the image (see Figure 15). Then click 

on the pixel in the image that corresponds to the first point of the calibration sticks (in 

this case, the far left segment). The routine does not require perfect pixel selection. 

Select “Correct Grid Points” and the software will display a new panel with pixel 

adjustment directions. Grid adjustment is also available in a later step. Figure 15 shows 

the image with the first two calibrations segments marked. 

Figure 15. User has selected the first two segments. 

The “Reference Points” table (center box in Figure 14) contains two arrays: one for the 

pixel locations (“labeled “Pixel Coordinates”) and the other for calibration stick 

dimensions (“labeled “Real World Coordinates”). In this case, array location 0 is the 

origin of the calibration sticks (X=0, Y=0) and the pixel location is (X=23, Y=97). The 

display labeled “Col” in Figure 14 increments after the user clicks on a segment pixel and 

is the index into “Reference Points” table arrays (0 corresponds to the first segment, 1 is 

the second segment and the next segment will be stored at index 2). 

As noted previously, the first two meter-sticks (starting from closest to the vehicle) have 

10 cm wide black and white segments. The third stick has 25 cm segments and the fourth 

stick has 50 cm segments. Thus, the user changes the X value in “Real World Grid Dim 

(m)” (see Figure 14) from 0.1 m to 0.25 m after Col is 20 (i.e., 0 to 20 are 0.1 m apart). 

Similarly, the user changes X value to 0.5 m when Col is 25. To check the calibration 

process, examine the “Real World Coordinates” after clicking on the end of the last meter 

stick. Set the array index to 26 (the value of “Col” minus 1) and examine the X value. It 

should be 4.0 m, corresponding to the length of the 4 meter-sticks. 

The operator concludes cal point selection with “stop pick points”. The software 

automatically displays the “Move Reference Points.vi” control panel (Figure 16). Using 
14 

this vi, the operator adjusts the pixel locations and/or changes the segment width. The 

control panel includes instructions in the upper left corner. The operator selects a single 

red circle with “Point #” and moves the circle with the sliders. Figure 17 shows control 

point number 3 highlighted (large green circle). The operator moves all the points 

simultaneously with “Move all points”. The “stop” button concludes point correction and 

returns the operator to the “Nonlinear Calibration.vi” control panel. 

Set the array index to the point

# you wish to change.

Could change this to 0.4 m to

indicate pixel coordinate 3 is

0.4 m from origin. It will be

saved when vi is stopped.

Figure 16. Control panel to move calibration points (red circles). 
15 

Figure 17. Red circles show pixels corresponding to segments on cal stick. Use the 

“Move Reference Points” control panel to adjust circle locations. Green circle is one 

being moved after setting “Point #” to 3 (see Figure 16). 

4.2.4 Learn Calibration 

The operator next clicks “Learn Calibration”. For the nonlinear calibration, this invokes 

a complex nonlinear calibration routine that may take some time. For the cal stick 

calibration, the step executes immediately. 

4.2.5 Check Calibration 

The operator verifies the calibration with “Check calibration”. The operator selects a 

pixel and observes the reported distances in the “Real World Coordinates” display. The 

operator also clicks pixels between the circles and verifies the linear interpolation (e.g., 

pixels at the mid point between circles should return the mid point distance in units fo 

length). 

4.2.6 Save Calibration 

When the operator clicks on “Save Calibration” the software writes out an “.ini” file 

containing the pixels and corresponding distance measurements. Subsequent software 

procedures use this file for measurements in other avi files. 

A pop-up window asks if this calibration should become the default for the “Use Default 

Cal Points” described in section 4.2.3. 

4.2.7 Return 

Return ends the program. The operator re-runs the program for the other quadrants. 

4.3 Considerations for Calibrating the Front View 

As indicated earlier, the front view calibration varies slightly from the side calibration. 

1. The front view calibration uses meter wide segments (see Figure 14). Therefore, the 

“Real World Grid Dim (m)” is 1.0 m. 
16 

2. The forward view control points often blend into the background. The operator uses 

the frame that best distinguishes the control point. To assist the calibration, users 

identify the points with a perpendicular stick during the recording (Section 3.2). 

Figure 18 shows the procedure and the corresponding pixel marked (red circle). The 

operator selects the video frame via the VCR controls (see “File Actions” in Figure 

14). 

Figure 18. A user pointing to the control points using a colored 

meter stick. 

4.4 Creating an INI File for the Video Calibration 

This file contains calibration information. The section above creates the file and the 

operator adds more information. The root file name is the same name as the calibration 

avi file (e.g., the INI file for “cal stick 03-14-05_c.avi” is “cal stick 03-14-05_c.ini”). 

The ini file contains subjects and values of the form: 

[FRONT_ABC_DIM_METERS] 

A=2.144 

B=5.95 

C=6.3245 

[SIDE_GRID_LENGTH_METERS] 

GRID_LENGTH=4 

[GPS_ANTENNA_MEASUREMENTS] 

TO_FRONT=2.8 

TO_PASSENGER_SIDE=0.855 

TO_GROUND=0.0 

[VEHICLE] 

NAME=Altima 

WIDTH=1.71 

WHEEL_BASE=2.82 

FRONT_AXLE_TO_FRONT=0.96 
17 

REAR_AXLE_TO_REAR=0.00 

The INI file data definitions are: 

FRONT_ABC_DIM_METERS The section ID for the three dimensional 

parameters (in meters) of the triangle defining 

the offset and orientation of the front cal sticks 

(see Figure 9 on page 7). 

A The distance (m) between the left end of the 

cal sticks and the intersection with dimension 

B 

B The distance (m) between the left rear wheelaxle and the closest point on the cal sticks. 

The tape measure should touch the front wheel 

in order to be parallel with the vehicle. 

C The distance (m) from the left rear wheel (at 

the axle) and the left end of the cal sticks. 

SIDE_GRID_LENGTH_METERS The section ID for the length of the side cal 

sticks. If four 1-meter sticks are used, then the 

length is 4 m. 

GRID_LENGTH The total distance (m) of the array of side cal 

sticks. 

GPS_ANTENNA_MEASUREMENTS The section ID for GPS antenna measurements 

(antenna position on vehicle). 

TO_FRONT Distance (m) from center of antenna to front 

of vehicle bumper. 

TO_PASSENGER_SIDE Distance (m) from center of antenna to outside 

of vehicle on passenger size. 

TO_GROUND Distance (m) from center of antenna to ground 

(in example above set to 0 since this is not 

used in any of the analyses). 

VEHICLE Section ID for vehicle parameters. 

NAME Vehicle name (generally the model name). 

WIDTH Vehicle width (m) 

WHEEL_BASE Distance between axles (m) measured from 

centers of each wheel. 

FRONT_AXLE_TO_FRONT Distance (m) between front axle and front 

bumper. 

REAR_AXLE_TO_REAR Distance (m) between rear axle and rear 

bumper (in example above set to 0 since this is 

not used in any of the analyses). 

4.5 Calibration Verification 

Between tests, or even during a test run, a camera may move. The video image contains 

fixed features such as hood, fender, and mirrors. The operator verifies the calibration 

legitimacy through the constant position of these features. The operator may correct 

misalignment during data collection by realigning the camera. The calibration process 
18 

described in the previous sections is invalid for a misaligned camera. Unfortunately, due 

to the non-linear nature of the image, the operator cannot discern the proper calibration 

from the images taken by the misaligned camera. 

The misalignment may be very slight. Figure 19 shows an example of video collected 

with the front-view camera misaligned. The lower quad picture is the calibration and the 

top quad picture is a nighttime test. Notice the left shift of the windshield sprayer nozzle 

on the hood. Lateral measurements using the front camera are therefore invalid and the 

evaluator may only use the side cameras. Fortunately, the operators detected the 

misalignment during data collection and corrected the camera before the subsequent run. 

Figure 19. Example of camera misalignment. 
19 

5 Data Processing 

Data processing prepares the data for analysis in LabView. The original data is on 

videotape. The first step transfers the video to a computer. NIST uses commercial 

software for the transfer (e.g., Adobe Premier). The evaluator examines the video and 

locates interesting segments (called clips). Clips capture a lateral drift with a warning, a 

missed warning (false negative), a specific run of a test identified in the RDCWS test 

procedures document, or some incident of interest. The commercial software locates the 

start point and stop point of the clip, encodes the video (DV format, e.g., Microsoft 

MPEG-4 Video Decompressor), and transfers the clip onto the disk. 

The second processing step extracts the GPS data from the videotape’s audio track. This 

step requires a VMS, a box that connects to the tape player, and Mediamapper software. 

The Mediamapper software extracts the GPS data and Easydiff software computes 

differential corrections. The software stores the GPS data in a file associated with the 

video clip file. 

As implied above, data processing requires multiple files. Table 1 contains an example of 

the types of files created during data processing. The remainder of this chapter explains 

the data processing procedures. 

Table 1 Data Processing File Examples 

File Name File Contents 

10-09-03 Test 

3.2..1.4.avi 

An avi video clip containing video and audio from a run on 10-

09-03 of Test 3.2.1.4 from the Visteon validation test plan. 

10-09-03 Test 

3.2..1.4_c.avi 

A compressed version (see the _c at the end of the name) of the 

clip. 

10-09-03 Test 

3.2..1.4_c.ini 

A text file containing information that is used during data 

processing. Important information contained in the file 

includes: 

• The video calibration file 

• The clip’s location on the tape (time code of the clip; 

called “In Point” in Premier), which is used to 

synchronize the clip with GPS data 

10-09-03 Test 

3.2..1.4_c.vms 

A text file containing GPS and tape time code information. 

Clips may not have a VMS file associated with it. 

5.1 Time codes 

The data processing uses various time codes (Table 2). 

Name Source Format 

UTC Universal Time Code. 

Time at the Greenwich Meridian 

UTC from VMS file is 

“day.fraction of day” 
20 

Extracted from GPS messages. 

Derived from GPS time (+ leap 

seconds) inserted by VMS onto tape. 

This UTC is in seconds 

from start of day 

UTC Local 

Time 

Local time derived from UTC – (time 

zone offset & daylight savings). 

Seconds from start of day 

Time of Day Entered into camcorder by user. This 

differs from UTC Local Time. The 

time is overlaid on tape but is not 

automatically transferred to computer 

upon capture (overlays do not transfer 

over firewire). 

hh:mm:ss 

E.g., 3:40 PM 

Tape Time code Essentially the tape counter. Defines a 

specific frame on the tape relative to the 

beginning of the tape. This time is 

needed to access video on a tape. 

hh:mm:ss:## 

where 

hh = hour, 

mm = minute 

ss = second 

## is the frame count 

Clip Time code Defines a specific frame in a clip 

relative to the beginning of the clip. 

This time is used to access video in a 

clip. 

hh:mm:ss:## 

where 

hh = hour, 

mm = minute 

ss = second 

## is the frame count 

Table 2 Time Codes 
21 

5.2 Video and Data Timing 

The following discussion describes the procedure for determining the UTC time (and 

subsequently, the corresponding GPS coordinates) of a particular video frame in an avi 

file. The VMS inserts the UTC (from GPS data), the position (from GPS data), and the 

tape time code on the tape once per second. The tape time code is the time (from the start 

of the tape) when the VMS writes the GPS data. The tape time code does not align with 

the avi time (seconds from the start of the avi file) since the avi may be a clip extracted 

from the tape. The VMS data relates the video frame number to the tape time code and 

thus to the GPS time and position. 

index

frame#(s)

tape

0

avi file

VMS/GPS file

pause

GPS

dropout

avi

outpoint fame#

VTRtime(s)[0]

avi

inpoint

inpoint(s)

VTRsearch(s)

offset(s)

Figure 20. Timing diagram describing relationship between video tape, avi file and 

VMS/GPS file. 

Figure 20 shows the relationship between the different data streams. Table 3 describes 

the terms in the figure. 
22 

Term Definition 

tape magnetic media that holds video and VMS data (GPS time and position, 

and tape time code) at 1 Hz. 

avi file captured from some point on tape starting at avi inpoint and ending at 

avi outpoint. The points are stored in the INI file (discussed later) 

named after the avi file. 

VMS/GPS 

file 

captured from tape at some point before and after avi in and out points. 

Contains VTRtime, UTC time and GPS coordinates. These are stored 

into individual arrays called VTRtime and UTC. 

VTRtime[0] the first element in VTRtime is the starting time on the tape where the 

first VMS data is available. The format is hh;mm;ss;## where ## is the 

frame count within seconds. 

Table 3 Time Reference Terms 

The following steps determine the UTC time for an avi frame# and the index into the 

GPS position array corresponding to a video frame. Tape pauses or GPS dropouts do not 

affect the UTC time from these procedures. In the discussion, the string “(s)” indicates 

the data in seconds. 

1. Convert frame# into frame#(s) based on frame rate. 

2. Convert inpoint into inpoint(s). 

3. Set VTRseach(s) = frame#(s) + inpoint(s). Want to search for this tape time code. 

4. For each VTRtime[i=0..N] 

a. Calculate VTRtime(s) of VTRtime[i] 

b. Stop when VTRtime(s) is greater than VTRsearch(s) (i.e., went one record too 

far into tape) 

5. Set index to i-1 (i.e., VTRsearch(s) falls between index and index+1) 

6. Set offset(s)=VTRsearch(s) - VTRtime(s)[index] 

7. Set Frame#(UTC)=UTC[index)+offset(s). This refines the UTC time based on the 

number of frames from the last UTC update. 

8. Return index and Frame#(UTC). 

5.3 Creating the avi file using Adobe Premier 

Use a DV capture program to transfer video from a tape to a computer file. The 

following contains directions for capturing video and creating an avi file using Adobe 

Premier. Appendix A contains some Premier quirks and error conditions. 

1. Open Premier and select the DV-NTSC Real-time Preview->Standard 48kHz setting. 

2. Select File->Save as. This will bring up the save file window with an “Untitled.ppj” 

project file name. Create a folder that will have the same name as the tape name. 

3. Create a bin. Within the project are bins. Typically, there is only one bin per project. 

Create a bin name according to the date of the videos were taken. 

4. Select Edit->Preferences->Scratch Disks and Device Control. This selects where the 

clips are stored and the type of DV recorder used. The scratch disks should be the 

same folder as the project file. Set the “Same as Project File” to the project file. The 
23 

Device should be a DV Device Control 2.0. Check the options to select the correct 

camera (see Figure 21). 

Figure 21. Settings for the Sony GV-D1000. 

5. Select File->Capture->Batch Capture. This will bring up the Batch Capture window. 

Go through the tape and select start and stop points of various clips of interest. The 

clips will be stored in the batch capture window. When done, one batch run will 

capture all the clips. Save the batch window so that in the future the clips can be recaptured without having to search for the start/stop points. Immediately save this as 

“Batch List” in the project folder. 

6. Select File->Capture->Movie Capture. This will bring up the Movie Capture 

window. Enter the name of the tape in the Reel Name field. 

7. Use the controls to place the video at the start of the clip. Click on “Set In” to enter 

the start of the clip. Use the controls to place the video at the end of the clip and click 

on “Set Out”. Then click on “Log In/Out”. A window will come up asking for a 

name. Enter the name, such as “cal” or “test”. Premier will automatically create new 

names for future clips by using the current name and adding an incrementing number. 

Repeat this process to log all the clips. 

8. Go to the Batch Capture window and click on the record button (red button in lower 

tool bar). Don’t click on anything outside of Premier or the capture will abort.

9. To view a clip, drag into the Monitor Source window and press the play button. The 

play performance may be poor if the video is also being output to the camcorder or 

DV deck (you will see the video displayed on the camcorder’s monitor). To turn off 

video output to an external device, select Project->Project Settings->General, click on 
24 

“Playback Settings” and deselect “Playback on DV Camcorder /VCR”. 

Figure 22. Project settings. 

Insert the source video into the program. Drag the source window into the program 

window (both are located side by side in the Monitor window). The clip will also 

appear in the Timeline window. 

For final output, it is desirable to remove the VMS data (a modem sound with bleeps 

every one second) from one of the stereo channels. This will make cabin sounds, 

driver instructions and audible warning much easier to hear. To eliminate the GPS 

audio channel, select an audio clip in the Timeline, right click and select audio 

options->duplicate right (or left). Alternatively, use the audio mixer (select Window-

>Audio Mixer) to only lower the VMS audio. First, select the middle button (looks 

like a pencil writing) above the Mute button to set the mixer to make permanent 

changes to the audio adjustments. Otherwise, all changes are lost when leaving the 

mixer window. Then adjust the balance (+98 works well, the VMS modem noise is 

barely audible). Then play through the entire clip (using the play button in the mixer) 

to write the new balance. The balance adjustment is lost if play is stopped before the 

end of the clip. 

10. Compress the clip to save disk space. 

a. Drag video to start of timeline. Set the work area (yellow bar above time line) to 

enclose the clip. 

b. Select File->Export Timeline->Movie... 

c. Choose same name as original avi with appended “_c” to indicate the file is 

compressed. 

d. Select Settings. Go through each setting (using Next button) and set the same as 

shown in the following figures. Make sure to set the compression frame rate to 

29.97 frame/s (not 30 frames/s – see Figure 24 and Appendix A). 
25 

Figure 23. Export Movie Settings – General. 

Figure 24. Export Movie Settings – Video. 
26 

Figure 25. Export Movie Settings - Video->MPEG-4 Configure. 

Figure 26. Export Movie Settings – Audio. 

5.4 Creating the INI file 

An INI file, created by the user (typically by modifying an existing INI file), stores data 

associated with the avi file and has the following form: 

[Video Data] 

In Point=00;02;07;00 
27 

Out Point=01;25;11;00 

Local Start Time=“02:59:08 PM” 

Date=03-14-05 

Frame Rate=29.97 

Number of Frames=149371 

Calibration Video File Name=“cal stick 03-14-05_c.avi” 

In Point Start timecode (i.e., in point) of video clip. The 

timecode is relative from the start of the tape. It is 

the same as the “set in” in the Premier capture 

window or batch file. 

Out Point Stop timecode of video clip. Same as the “set out” 

time in Premier. 

Local Start Time Start time of video clip as displayed on tape 

counter. Since this is typically set manually, it is 

not very accurate. If available, GPS data is used 

for generating the local time once the VMS file 

has been created. 

Date Date 

Frame Rate Found from Premier capture program or by right 

clicking on the avi file in windows and clicking on 

properties (go to summary tab). Note that it is 

typically 29.97 frame per second and not 30 fps. 

Number of Frames Number of frames in avi file. Also available from 

avi properties. 

Calibration Video 

File Name 

Name of the avi file used to generate the 

calibration information for this avi file. 

Table 4 INI File Definitions 

5.5 Creating the VMS (GPS) file 

The VMS file is a text file of Latitude, Longitude, speed and tape time code. Each line 

contains one data set and represents one-second intervals. See Appendix C for directions 

on how to extract the GPS data from the videotape. 
28 

6 AnalyzeData Main Control Panel 

The evaluator uses the AnalyzeData program, written by NIST researchers, to analyze 

IMS data (Figure 27). 

Video Frame Controls

Left Camera View Right Camera View

Front Camera View

Local Map

Map Legend

GPS Data

Clear Plots

Stop

Program

Warning System Display

Control

Panels

Lateral Measurements

Run Button (arrow)

GPS Local

Time

UTC

Seconds

Calulate

Lane

Width

Longitudinal

Distance

Figure 27. The AnalyzeData control panel. 

The following are the controls, displays and procedures for the examination of data and 

the collection of measurements. 

6.1 Starting and Stopping 

The white arrow button in the upper left corner starts the program. The program begins 

with a file selection menu. The user selects the avi file to analyze and a quad image 

appears in the upper right. 
29 

The arrow button turns black during program execution. The operator stops the program 

with the red octagonal button next to the arrow button. 

6.2 Video Frame Controls 

The “Video Frame Controls” provide controls and displays for manipulating the avi file. 

The VCR control has eight buttons for changing the displayed frame (from left to right): 

1. Move to beginning of file 

2. Continuous backward play (may be slow depending on CPU and disk speed) 

3. Move backward one increment (number of frames moved depends on “video advance 

increment” and “time advance”. 

4. Stop (when playing backwards or forwards) 

5. Move forward one increment 

6. Continuous forward play 

7. Move to end of file 

8. Continuous replay 

Other video frame controls are: 

• Frame # shows the number of the current frame (first frame is 0). 

• The “video advance increment” and “time advance” controls set the increment value 

for the VCR controls. For example, to move by 10 s increments each time the play 

button is depressed, set “video advance increment” to 10 and “time advance” to “s”. 

The other values for “time advance” are “f” (to increment by frames) and “m” (to 

increment by minutes). 

6.3 Lateral Measurements 

A click in the quad image generates the lateral offsets from the front wheels. The values 

are accurate only between the red circles in the image. The offsets appear in the panel 

labeled “Lateral Measurements”. For example, the farthest right circle in the left camera 

view returns a 0.0 m in the “LW Lat Offset” (Left Wheel Lateral Offset) display and the 

negative of the vehicle width in the “RW Lat Offset”. Similarly, clicking along the red 

circles in the forward view produces lateral distances from the left and right front wheels 

as well as the longitudinal distance from the front wheel axle (e.g., 3.13 m). 

6.4 Lane Width and Vehicle Offset 

The lane width and offset equations for the vehicle within the lane are (refer to Figure 28 

for measurement descriptions): 

 

LaneWidth(lw)= LeftOffset(l)+ VehicleWidth(vw) + RightOffset(r) 

CenterOffset(co) = (RightOffset – LeftOffset)/2 
30 

lw/2

lw

co

vw/2

l

vw/2

veh

( )

( )

NOTE: is negativeleft of center

2 2 2

2 2

2 2

2 2

co

co r l r l

co l vw r l vw

co lw l vw

lw l vw co

lw l vw r

= − = −

= + + − −

= − −

= + −

= + +

lw/2

r

Figure 28. Lane width and vehicle center offset calculations and diagram. 

The “Calculate Lane Width” controls (Figure 27) calculate the lane width and center 

offset. The operator uses the following procedure: 

1. Click on inside of lane marker (aligned with red circles) on left side of vehicle (upper 

left quad. The value should appear in “Left Offset”. 

2. Click on inside of lane marker (aligned with red circles) on right side of vehicle 

(upper right quad. The value should appear in “Right Offset”. 

3. Click on “Calculate w&o”; the software writes the offset in “Center Offset” and the 

lane width in “width”. 

The software calculates the lane width with the vehicle width data from the video 

calibration INI file (see Section 4.4). 

6.5 Longitudinal Measurements 

The evaluator makes longitudinal measurements based on the GPS data. The 

Longitudinal Distance controls (Figure 27) compute a vector (straight-line) distance 

between any two video frames. For consistent measurements, the evaluator uses the 

same horizontal line in the two video frames, typically a red calibration circle. This 

measurement produces the vector distance and not the distance traveled on a curve (i.e., 

the arc length). 

The longitudinal measurement procedure is: 

1. Click on the “Start Vector Distance” button to start the distance measurement. 

2. Advance the video frame. The straight-line distance is in “Vector Distance (m)” 
31 

6.6 GPS Data 

The GPS data (position, velocity, heading, etc.) for each frame appears blow the local 

map (see Figure 28). The local map also shows the vehicle’s GPS location. The units are 

in meters. The origin is the lowest Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates of 

the GPS data from the current video file (see Appendix E for information on the UTM 

system). 

The GPS data updates at 1 Hz. The video data updates at 29.97 Hz. On the map, the black 

circles connected by lines show the actual GPS positions while the red circles are the 

interpolated positions. The software interpolates the GPS positions with a second order 

polynomial. The local map maintains a 1:1 aspect ratio and automatically shows all the 

positions (i.e., the user does not need to scroll). The auto-zoom feature occasionally 

causes the map to look far-off. The user corrects the perception and clears the map with 

the “Clear plots” button. 

The circle dial in the lower left shows the vehicle heading. The heading is the tangent to 

the second order polynomial interpolation of three GPS positions. 

6.7 Control Panels 

“Control Panels” is a tab switch across the bottom of the display. Each “Control Panels” 

tab displays a sub-panel containing controls and indicators for specialized analyses. The 

next several sections explain various analyses performed using sub-panel displays and 

controls. 
32 

7 Locating Video Based on GPS Time 

The following section describes a procedure for locating video frames specified by GPS 

time. The software uses this procedure extensively when analyzing warning system data 

collected by the UMTRI's DAS. The DAS records the time of each warning issued by 

the Road Departure Crash Warning System. For on-road test analysis, Volpe queries the 

DAS database and generates a spreadsheet containing GpsTime and CspGpsTime (from 

curve speed warning system) of each warning. The procedure below takes each GPS 

time and locates the corresponding IMS video frame. The warning appears in the dash 

video quadrant (lower left) at some time nearby. 

Figure 29. The “find frame #” Screen. 

The frame to time correlation function is part of the AnalyzeData program. The 

evaluator uses the “find frame #” tab in AnalyzeData.vi (see Figure 29). The instructions 

appear on the tab and below. 

1. Copy in GPS times “GPS Time String Buffer” (if values in buffer already, double 

click to highlight values and then paste to overwrite). The GPS times are a column in 

the Volpe spreadsheet. 
33 

2. Indicate the format of the GPS time with the “GPS time source” radio button. The 

choices are GPSTime and CswGpsTime from the Volpe spreadsheet header row. 

3. Click on the “Update Frame #” button. 

4. The local time and the frame# associated with the GPS time is computed and copied 

into the “Alert Frame Array”. 

5. Use the up/down array control to select an element of the “Alert Frame Array”. The 

video frame automatically displays. Double check that the alert frame array number 

appears in “Frame #”. Sometimes the update will be slow due to delays in reading 

the video file. 

6. If the alert icon is visible, rewind the video to the first instance of the icon. If the 

alert icon is not visible, advance the video to the first instance of the icon. The “first 

instance” is the first video frame that includes the icon image. If the icon appears 

faded or hashed, advance one more frame. The estimate should be close, but there 

may be mismatches. For example, a mismatch occurs if the videotape was paused 

during the test drive. During a pause, the GPS time advances but the tape time does 

not advance. Thus, there is a jump in GPS time when the tape (i.e., avi) resumes. 

7. Click the “Alert Found” button when the video frame containing the alert appears. 

The software changes the value in the “Alert Frame Array” and generates a string 

containing the GPS Time, the Frame #, the GPS time difference (between the Volpe 

GPSTime and the video frame’s GPS time), and the value of frame# plus five. (The 

“5 +” corrects for a 0.17 s delay between the audio warning and the visual display.) 

8. Paste the string into the spreadsheet (there is no need to copy since it is already in the 

clipboard). 

9. Increment the “Alert Frame Array” index and repeat steps 6 through 9 until all of the 

Alert frame # are identified. 

The “Alert Frame Array” is now ready for Lateral Drift Analysis. 
34 

8 Lateral Drift Analysis 

The following lateral drift analysis uses the on-road characterization designed jointly by 

Volpe and NIST [2]. A Lateral Drift Analysis of a warning produces 23 values in six 

areas. The evaluator copies these values into a spreadsheet for a final report. Of the 23 

values, two values deal with the time of the warning. Two more specify the nature of the 

warning. Three values deal with atmospheric conditions. Eight values describe the 

roadway’s characteristics. Five values identify the vehicle’s lane position and motion at 

the time of the warnings. The remaining three values describe the general operating 

conditions and the accuracy of the warning. 

8.1 Overview 

The following section gives a brief overview of the meaning of the values collected 

during a lateral drift analysis. See [2] for more details on these values. Section 8.2 

presents a support tool for making measurements and generating entries. 

8.1.1 Warning Time 

The Lateral Drift Analysis records two warning times. The analysis presents both times 

by their video frame number. The first measure (Alert Frame #) is the frame when the 

alert icon is first fully visible on the video image. The second measure (Frame #) is the 

frame when the audible alert occurs. Evaluators identify the Alert Frame # through 

careful stepping through the video file (see Section 7). The Frame # is derived from the 

Alert Frame # and is used in subsequent evaluations. 

8.1.2 Weather Environment 

The Lateral Drift Analysis records three values describing the atmospheric conditions. 

From the video image, the evaluator determines if the alert occurred during the day or 

night, whether the road surface was wet or dry, and whether the driver was using the 

windshield wipers (i.e., was it raining). The evaluators observe sunlight as described in 

Section 8.4. 

The day/night value is determined by comparison between the local time and the time of 

civil twilight. The local time of the warning comes from the GPS data. Civil twilight, 

which is the time after sunset when the sky becomes dark, comes from the United States 

Naval Observatory (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html). If the alert 

time is between “Begin civil twilight” in the morning and the “End civil twilight” at 

night, the evaluator records a “0” in the analysis. Otherwise the warning occurred at 

night and the evaluator records a “1”. 

Road surface wetness is a subjective evaluation. The evaluator views the road surface 

through the forward and side images and estimates if the road surface is wet. The 

evaluator records a “1” when the road is wet and a “0” when the road appears dry. 
35 

Wiper use is very difficult to determine from the available data. In some cases, the 

vehicle’s hood may reflect the wiper motion in the forward view image. This is an 

unreliable, but only available, source for the data. The evaluator enters a “1” when wiper 

motion is detected and a “0” otherwise. 

8.1.3 Warning Type 

The Lateral Drift Analysis contains two values to identify the alert. The warning system 

generates imminent and cautionary alerts in both the right and left directions. The alerts, 

captured by the dash camera (see lower left quadrant of video), appear as icons on the 

warning system display. The evaluator enters a “0” for a cautionary alert and a “1” for an 

imminent alert. For departure direction, enter a “-1” when the alert is to the left, and a 

“1” when the alert is to the right. 

8.1.4 Road Type 

The Lateral Drift Analysis produces eight values describing the road. The analysis 

describes the type, the color, and the condition of the pavement markings in the alert 

direction. Two values record the direction of a curve and the vehicle’s position in a 

curve. One value records whether the road is a freeway. The remaining two values 

describe the Available Maneuver Room. 

8.1.4.1 Marker Condition 

The analysis uses a three-tier evaluation for marker condition. The evaluator records a 

“2” if the quality of the markings is good, a “1” if the quality is fair, and a “0” if the 

quality is poor. A good quality mark is clear, crisp and bright. If the marks are faded, 

have irregular edges, or contain tar stripes, the evaluator records them as fair. We 

consider the marking to be of poor quality if it is missing, broken, obscured by debris, or 

is partly faded beyond recognition. When the quality of the marking varies, the evaluator 

records the markings deemed more significant to the alert. 

8.1.4.2 Marker Color 

Pavements marking are either yellow or white. The evaluator records a “1” if the 

markings are yellow and a “0” if they are white. If the color is indistinguishable, the 

evaluator records the color typically found at the subject location based on the marker 

type. 

8.1.4.3 Marker Type 

The analysis recognizes five marker types. The evaluator records a “0” when the 

approach toward a single solid line triggers the alert. The evaluator indicates a single 

dashed line with a “1”. A double solid line garners a “2”. The evaluator records a “3” 

when the lane marker is solid-dashed indicating the test vehicle can legally pass. The 

evaluator records a “4” when there is a solid-dashed combination where the test vehicle 

cannot legally pass. 

8.1.4.4 Curve Direction 

A three-tier value records the direction of a curve. A “1” indicates a right curve. A “-1” 

indicates the road is curving to the left. A “0” indicates the road is straight. The 

evaluator determines the direction of the curve from the map. The approach commonly 

used was to draw the curvature of the road by moving the vehicle from 1 s before to 1 s 
36 

after the warning using one-second increments (use VCR controls and set increment to 1 

s). 

8.1.4.5 Curve Entry/Exit 

The evaluator records the vehicle’s relation to a curve at the time of the warning. When 

the alert occurs as the test vehicle enters the curve, the evaluator records a “1”. The 

evaluator records a “3” if the test vehicle is exiting the curve. A “2” indicates the test 

vehicle is in the middle of a curve. The evaluator records a “0” when the alert occurred 

on a straight road section. Use the local map to determine the location of the vehicle 

relative to the curve. 

8.1.4.6 Freeway Indication 

A freeway is a road with a legal speed limit at or above 80 km/hr (50 mph) and a 

separation between the lanes going in opposite travel directions. The lane separation 

must have either a substantial vegetated area or a fixed barrier. The evaluator judges the 

road type from the video images and records a “1” for a freeway alert or a “0” for a nonfreeway alert. 

8.1.4.7 AMR 

The Available Maneuver Room (AMR) is the distance between the inside edge of the 

lane marker and the nearest continuous obstacle or an opposing traffic lane. Continuous 

obstacles appear directly to the side of the vehicle. The vehicle approaches the obstacle 

at a slow rate. The warning system must be able to detect four types of continuous 

obstacles: 

1. Concrete Traffic Barrier (i.e., Jersey Barrier) 

2. Guard rail 

3. Fence 

4. Wall 

The evaluator uses the calibrated video image to make lateral measurements of the AMR 

measurement (see section 6.3). The outside of the AMR is the edge of pavement, the 

bottom of an obstacle or, for an opposing traffic lane, the middle of the double lane 

markers or outside edge of the single lane marker. 

8.1.4.8 AMR Type 

The lateral drift analysis provides extra information for a left warning. The evaluator 

uses the forward and left side images to assess the area adjacent to the travel lane. The 

evaluator records a “0” if the adjacent area is the roadway shoulder. A “1” indicates the 

adjacent lane is a travel lane in the same direction as the test vehicle. A “2” indicates the 

drift is towards a travel lane in the opposite direction as the test vehicle. The evaluator 

records a “3” if the adjacent lane is shared, such as for passing. A “4” indicates the 

adjacent lane is not a travel lane, but is used for turning. 

8.1.5 Vehicle’s Lane Information 

The Lateral Drift Analysis records up to five values describing the vehicle’s relationship 

to the lane and roadside objects. Two readings specify the vehicle position within the 

lane. Another reading is the lateral velocity of the vehicle. When the vehicle’s radar 
37 

units identify a discrete obstacle, two more readings identify the vehicle’s position from 

the obstacle. 

8.1.5.1 Lane Position 

The Lateral Drift Analysis records the vehicle’s lane position as two values: the distance 

from the left lane marker to the left wheel and the distance from the right lane marker to 

the right wheel. The evaluator uses the calibrated image to measure the distance to the 

lane marker from the wheel. The analysis software combines the left and right lane 

marker distances with knowledge of the vehicle’s width to determine the lane width and 

the distance from the vehicle center to the lane center (see section 6.4), however, the 

width is not entered into the analysis spreadsheet (Volpe chose to calculate this value). 

The lane width varies little over short sections of roadways. Therefore, once the analysis 

software has the lane width, only one lane marker is required to determine the distance 

from the center of the lane to the vehicle. The analysis software uses these facts to 

determine the distance to the lane edge when the lane marker is under the vehicle. 

8.1.5.2 Lateral Velocity 

The lateral velocity is the range rate, or average change in distance over time, between 

the vehicle and the lane edge. The video provides an excellent time stamp for lateral 

velocity calculations. The evaluator determines the lateral velocity from the lane offset 

from two video images. The evaluator selects images such that the lateral motion is 

easily discernable and consistent up to the alert frame. 

8.1.5.3 Discrete Obstacles 

For these tests, discrete obstacles are objects that appear on the shoulder ahead of the 

vehicle. The warning system must be able to detect five types of discrete obstacles: 

1. Parked vehicle 

2. Bridge structure 

3. Sign Post 

4. Pedestrian/Cyclist 

5. Animal 

The Road Departure Crash Warning System has a set of radars that alert the driver to 

approaching obstacles. UMTRI’s analysis of the DAS data includes the source 

(spreadsheet column header AmrCriticalSource) of the alert and the approximate range 

(spreadsheet column header AmrCriticalBin). A source value of 2 indicates the radar 

generated the alert. The bin refers to half-second look-ahead times. A bin value of 1 (0 s 

to 0.5 s) indicates the object was detected in the side radar. A bin value of 2 (0.5 s to 1.0 

s) and above indicates the object was detected in the forward radar. The evaluation 

includes the longitudinal and lateral position of the object. 

The procedure for determining the longitudinal distance to an obstacle (requires GPS or 

speedometer data) is described in Section 6.5. The program enters the longitudinal 

distance in the XO column of the analysis spreadsheet. The obstacle’s lateral offset is 

determined using the technique for measuring the AMR discussed above. The lateral 

distance is entered in the YO column of the analysis spreadsheet. 
38 

8.1.6 Warning Classifications 

The Lateral Drift Analysis calls for three types of situation evaluations. The first 

describes the scenario of the alert. The second identifies any particularly challenging 

aspect of the environment or activity at the point of the alert. The third evaluation rates 

the accuracy of the alert. 

8.1.6.1 Scenario Identification 

The evaluator views the situation in the video and determines which scenario best 

describes the situation at the time of the alert. Table 5 lists the scenario identifications. 

The evaluator records the three-digit reference value based on the appropriate description. 

Ref Description 

2.4.a Departure on rural roads with narrow shoulder ≤ 1 m 

2.4.b Departure on roads with medium shoulder 1–2m 

2.4.c Departure on highway with wide shoulder ≥ 2 m 

2.4.d Drift left towards solid lane boundary 

2.4.e Drift left towards striped lane boundary 

2.4.f Drift right towards striped lane boundary 

2.6.a Drift left towards vehicle traveling in adjacent lane 

2.6.b Drift right towards vehicle traveling in adjacent lane 

2.6.c Drift towards guard rails in close proximity (≤ 1 m) to lane edge 

2.6.d Drift towards jersey barriers in close proximity (≤ 1 m) to lane edge 

2.6.e Drift towards traffic barrels in close proximity (≤ 1 m) to lane edge 

2.7.a Drift towards vehicle parked on shoulder 

2.7.b Drift towards bridge abutment 

2.7.c Drift towards telephone pole 

2.7.d Drift towards obstacle in curve 

Table 5 Scenario Identifications 

The scenarios cover three basic categories: lane departures, drift towards close objects, 

and drift towards other objects. Some departure alerts may include more than one 

scenario. When there are conflicts, the evaluator selects the most specific scenario. 

Therefore, the “drift towards close objects” (2.6.a through 2.6.e) has the highest priority. 

“Drift towards other objects” (2.7.a through 2.7.d) have the second highest priority. 

Finally, lane departure scenarios (2.4.a through 2.4.f) have the least priority. 

8.1.6.2 Challenging Environment 

The second Lateral Drift Analysis situation evaluation describes any particularly 

challenging aspect of the environment or activity at the point of the alert. Table 6 shows 

the codes for identifying challenging environments. The evaluator identifies and records 

the challenging environment. 
39 

Key Environment 

-1 none 

0 glare due to low sun angle 

1 shadows cast from trees 

2 nighttime streetlight lighting 

3 glare due to oncoming headlamps 

4 roadside bushes 

5 roadside sign 

6 roadside guardrail 

7 adjacent vehicle 

8 roadside mailbox 

9 roadside barrier (leading edge) 

Table 6 Challenging Environment Codes 

8.1.6.3 Alert Ratings 

The third Lateral Drift Analysis situation evaluation records the accuracy of the alerts 

generated by the warning system. The alert may be either positive or negative and may 

be either true or false. Positive indicates the warning system generated an alert. True 

indicates the alert, or lack of alert, reflected the activity on the road. 

The evaluator assigns a “1” for a true positive. A true positive rating indicates the 

vehicle either departed its travel lane or made a substantial move to depart its travel lane 

and the warning system sounded on alert. The evaluator assigns a “-1” for a false 

positive indicating the driver received an alert but the vehicle was not departing the lane. 

The test vehicle has a button that allows the driver to record a particular time as a point of 

interest. The points of interest generally do not coincide with the alerts from the warning 

system. Thus, most points of interest are negative alerts. When the system does not issue 

an alert when the test vehicle departs the lane, the evaluator records a “-2” for a false 

negative. The driver may mark a point in the run when the vehicle passes a potentially 

difficult situation and responds correctly. A true negative generates an analysis and 

assists subsequent evaluations by including specific situations in the experiment statistics. 

The evaluator leaves the Alert Ratings entry blank for a true negative. 

On rare occasions, the evidence from the video file is not sufficient to evaluate the 

accuracy on an alert. The evaluator records a “0” to indicate further study is required. 

The “0” entry keeps the event from biasing subsequent statistics. 

8.2 Positive Alert Measurement Procedure 

The procedure below steps the operator through the evaluation of a lateral drift event. 

Figure 30 is the operator’s window for lateral drift evaluation. Refer to Figure 30 for 

component identification. Identify the starting video frame number when the alert occurs 

and enter the frame numbers into the Alert Frame String and Alert Frame Array before 

using this procedure. 
40 

Figure 30. Lateral Drift Window, Method B. 

1. Hit the “Reset” button (far right on “lateral drift” control panel) to clear all data from 

a previous analysis. 

2. Select the next Alert Frame by either entering the number in the “Alert Frame Array” 

index or by clicking on the up triangle in the button next to the index (see Alert 

Frame Area in Figure 30). 

3. Choose the Departure direction by clicking anywhere in the side-view display in the 

direction of the departure. The Departure Direction Flag will indicate your selection. 

If you select incorrectly, use the “Reset” button and start again. 

4. Select the appropriate “Curve Info”, “Alert Type”, “Road Type”, “Scenario”, 

“Environment”, “Marker”, “Marker Quality”, “Wiper”, “Day/Night”, and “Alert 

Rating” in the “drift filler” panel (see Figure 31). Reselect the values if cleared on 

Reset. Click on “keep values” to prevent the “Reset” button from clearing the “drift 

filler” values. This is helpful because it eliminates the need to continually re-select 

each value if the same scenario occurs several times. Note that the computer will 

beep if one or more of the evaluations are not complete. 

5. Back up the avi display about 20 frames. Continue backing until both the right and 

left lane markers are visible. 

6. Using the side-view displays, select the left and right lane markers. The “Prev Lane 

Marks” flag will indicate your progress. 

7. Using the side-view displays, select the AMR marker in the departure direction. 
41 

8. The avi frame will advance to the audible alert frame. 

9. Using the side-view display for the direction opposite the departure, select the lane 

marker. 

10. If the warning stems from a discrete obstacle ahead (e.g., parked car on the shoulder), 

then use the procedure described in Section 6.5 to perform a longitudinal 

measurement to the object. The start of the measurement is the frame# of the warning 

and the end of the measurement occurs when the calibration circles in the side view 

align as close as possible to the object. Click on “Latch Discrete Object” to copy the 

measurement onto the clipboard for pasting into the result spreadsheet. 

11. The program will load the operating system’s clipboard with the lateral drift data. 

Select the next line on the spreadsheet containing the DAS warning data and paste 

lateral drift data. 

 

Figure 31. Drift Filler Window. 
42 

8.3 Negative Alert Measurement Procedure 

The software coordinates the Positive Alert Measurement Procedure through the Alert 

Frame array and index. Negative alerts do not have an accurate Alert Frame. Negative 

alerts have only an approximate time of occurrence. The measurement procedure for 

negative alerts is similar to the positive alert measurement procedure with an initial step 

to determine the alert frame. 

The first step in a negative alert measurement is to determine the alert time. Since the 

driver signaled the negative alert with the dashboard button after the alert system failed to 

warn of an event, the negative alert frame is before the recorded time. The evaluator 

begins with the recorded time. The evaluator adjusts the Frame # until the “Local Time 

(GPS clock)” matches the recorded time of the alert. The evaluator rewinds the video to 

the frame where the drift or departure stops. When the lane departure is a lane change, 

the desired frame is when the lane marker is half way across the hood in the forward 

camera view. For other departures, the desired frame is where the drift stops (since the 

evaluation is using a rewind, it will appear to be when the drift starts back to the lane). 

The evaluator records the desired frame at the end of the Alert Frame String, clicks on 

“Copy Alert String to Array”, and selects the last “Alert String Array” index. Afterwards 

the evaluation follows the Positive Alert Measurement procedure. 

8.4 Atmospheric/Cloud Indication 

Atmospheric/Cloud indication classifies the relative sunlight by the presence or absence 

of a shadow around the vehicle. Shadows as well as diffuse lighting conditions when 

clouds are present can have a big impact on warning system performance. Clouds, hills, 

or large buildings may block the sun. The condition of the sunlight may explain warning 

system failures or highlight warning system performance. Analyze the entire video, not 

just during warnings. Volpe then uses the durations to determine the exposure time of the 

warning system to shadow and non-shadow conditions. This ensures a balanced, 

objective view of warning system performance (i.e., the system was barely tested in harsh 

sunlight). 
43 

Figure 32. AnalyzeData “weather” Tab Display. 

The weather analysis procedure uses the “weather” tab on the AnalyzeData VI. The 

analysis begins at frame zero and proceeds at 2 min intervals through the avi file. The 

analysis records the times when the shadow appears or disappears. The procedure 

requires a minimum amount of user motion and mouse clicks to collect the data. 

1. Insert the number zero in the Frame # window. 

2. Insert the number 2 in “video advance increment” and select “m” in “time 

advance”. 

3. Select the “weather” tab in the AnalyzeData.vi. 

4. Click on the “Start/Done” button. The system will beep. 

5. Check the avi image for the presence or absence of a shadow. The image at frame 

zero in Figure 32 shows a faint shadow around the vehicles ahead of the test 

vehicle. However there is no shadow around the test vehicle. Therefore, we 

record “no shadow” for this interval. 

6. The avi display advances about 2 min when you select “Shadow” or “No 

Shadow”. 

7. Continue selecting Shadow or No Shadow as appropriate. Whenever there is a 

change, a new line will appear in the “Weather Changes” text window. The line 
44 

will include the GPS time, the local time, and a “1” for a shadow or a “0” when 

there is no shadow. 

8. When the avi image no longer advances, click the “Start/Done” button to add the 

final condition to “Weather Changes”. The program will automatically copy the 

“Weather Changes” text into the operating system’s clipboard. (For example see 

Figure 33) 

9. Paste the clipboard into the appropriate spreadsheet for future analysis. 

Sec (from 

midnight)

Local Time Shad

ow=1

68886.601 3:08:07 PM x

68347.970 2:59:08 PM 1

69069.777 3:11:10 PM 0

69189.874 3:13:10 PM 1

69790.473 3:23:10 PM 0

69910.603 3:25:11 PM 1

70030.712 3:27:11 PM 0

70150.842 3:29:11 PM 1

71712.396 3:55:12 PM 0

71832.525 3:57:13 PM 1

71952.655 3:59:13 PM 0

72072.785 4:01:13 PM 1

Figure 33. Typical Weather Changes Summary. 
45 

9 Lane Marker Contrast 

Lane marker contrast is the difference between the average intensity of the marker and 

the average intensity of the adjacent road surface. Figure 34 shows the control panel for 

making contrast measurements. 

Contrast Line

x

y

Contrast Controls

and Displays

Left Contrast Point

Left Marker Point

Right Contrast

Point

Right Marker Point

Figure 34. Control Panel for measuring lane marker contrast. 

The “Contrast Line” in the video window shows the region in the image where the 

contrast measurement occurs. The line consists of two red segments, the left and the 

right road segments (if the segment is not visible, click on “Measure Contrast” to force a 

measurement and to cause the line to appear). The average of the pixel intensities of 

these segments produce the “road average”. The region in between, which is transparent 

(no color), is the marker segment. The average of the pixel intensities of this segment 

produce the “marker average”. The difference between the averages is the “contrast”. 
46 

Note that for an RGB image, intensity is the average of the pixel’s red, green and blue 

components. Yellow may stand out in an image, but its intensity can be “low” and 

correspondingly, the contrast may be low. 

The following components, starting from the upper left component in the control 

window, are available to make a contrast measurement and to view the results. Contrast 

measurements automatically occur whenever the frame changes or the line changes. 

Note that the location of the contrast line does not track the lane marker as the marker 

shifts. An automatic lane finder can track the lane, but the tracker usually degrades when 

the contrast decreases; typically, the instance the user desires a measurement. 

Marker Contrast Control

Use this window to manually click on the pixels corresponding to the start and stop 

points of the contrast line (however, it may be easier to move the current contrast line 

using the controls described below). There are four points to the contrast line, as shown 

in Figure 34). To start, click on “Left Contrast Point” (in “Marker Contrast Control”) and 

then click on the four pixels in the image in the following order: 

1. Left Contrast Point 

2. Left Marker Point 

3. Right Marker Point 

4. Right Contrast Point 

After each click, “Marker Contrast Control” advances to the next point. To redefine a 

point, just select the appropriate valued in “Marker Contrast Control” and pick the pixel. 

After selecting all the pixels, set “Marker Contrast Control” to “Measure Contrast”. 

Move Contrast Line 

Click on the buttons in this panel to move the contrast line. 

Change Width 

Click on the buttons in this panel to increase or decrease the width of the road and the 

marker segments. 

Slow Down

Click in the slider region to increase or decrease the speed at which the contrast line 

moves or changes width. 

Contrast Data

1. marker avg – the average intensities of pixels corresponding to marker segment 

2. road avg - the average intensities of pixels corresponding to road segment 

3. Contrast = “marker avg” – “road avg” 

4. max intensity – the maximum pixel intensity over the road and marker. Used to 

fix the scale of “Line Profile” so that it remains constant while viewing a video. 

5. min intensity – the minimum pixel intensity over the road and marker. Also used 

to fix the scale of “Line Profile”. 
47 

Line Profile

This is a graph of intensities for each pixel in the contrast line. 

Contrast

This is a bar graph of the contrast (same value in “Contrast Data”). 

Measure Contrast 

Use this to force a contrast measurement in cases when one does not automatically occur. 

Road Line

These are the coordinates of the Road line. Note these coordinates are the same as “Left 

Contrast Point” and “Right Contrast Point” described above. The split into two segments 

(left and right) uses the coordinates of the marker line. 

Road

This is the color (currently red) to overlay for the road segment. Click in the box to bring 

up a menu of alternative colors. 

Marker Line

These are the coordinates of the marker line. Note these coordinates are the same as 

“Left Marker Point” and “Right Marker Point” described above. 

Marker

This is the color (currently transparent) to overlay for the marker segment. Click in the 

box to bring up a menu of alternative colors. 

Pixel Inc

Another way to adjust speed when moving or resizing lines. 
48 

10 MapPoint Map Display 

If the host computer has the Microsoft MapPoint application, the Lateral Drift Analysis 

software displays the GPS position on an external map. The software adds a pin at the 

coordinates of the frames displayed. If an alert frame occurred (as recorded in the Alert 

Frame Array) between the last pin and the current frame, the map plots a red pin, 

otherwise a blue dot. Figure 35 shows a typical run near Ann Arbor, MI. The map 

shows a series of alerts along the lakeshore, no alerts in the downtown area, and a GPS 

jump at the intersection on the western side. NIST intends to integrate more functions 

with the maps in subsequent versions of the evaluation software. 

Figure 35. Map Point Display. 

The analysis software requires the computer to have a map file saved on the disk. The 

operator specifies this file when MapPoint starts up. The operator may change the map 

file by using the “Select New Map” switch in the external map controls. If “Select New 

Map” is active, the software will ask for a new file the next time the operator starts a new 

track, otherwise the display reuses the previous map. 
49 

Figure 36. Map Interface. 

The operator uses the “Restart Map” button in the external map controls to start a new 

track. The operator may first save the map for future reference by using the MapPoint 

controls. The operator may also clear the track with the delete function under “My 

Pushpins” on the MapPoint interface. After saving and clearing, the operator activates 

the “Restart Map” button on the external map controls on the data analyzing software 

display (see Figure 36). 

The operator may limit the number of pins by setting the frames/pin selector under the 

“misc” tab (see Figure 36). The frames/pin selector instructs the software to add a pin 

only after the specified number of frames has passed. When the frame index rate is 

greater then the frames/pin selector, the software adds only one pin per index. The 

default rate is 30 frames per pin, which equals 1 pin per second of continuous running. 

The operator sizes, centers, and clears the map as required using the MapPoint controls. 
50 

References 

[1] Request for Applications for Cooperative Agreement DTFH61-01-X-00053, A 

Intelligent Vehicle Initiative Road Departure Crash Warning Field Operational Test, 

April 11, 2001, http://www.eps.gov/EPSData/DOT/Synopses/30/DTFH61-01-X00053/DTFH61-01-X-00053.rtf

[2] Bruce Wilson, Jonathan Koopman, Sandor Szabo, “Roadway Departure Crash 

Warning System Performance and Capability Testing”, March 7, 2005. 
51 

Appendix A Adobe Premier Notes

This section contains notes describing tips and quirks uncovered using Adobe Premier 

6.0. 

A.1 Differences in file lengths 

The following is an inconsistency discovered in the length of an avi file when viewed in 

Premier and in Labview. Differences in file length cause timing mismatches between the 

video and the inserted GPS/time stamp. By the end of a long video file, the GPS data 

indicating the position and velocity of the vehicle does not match the view of the 

vehicle’s motion in the video (vehicle appears to stop yet the GPS position indicates the 

vehicle is still moving). The solution is to ensure the compression frame rate matches the 

capture frame rate. The following example describes the problem in more detail. 

When looking at the clip “05-28-03 LDW Barriers_c.avi” in the Premier timeline, the 

monitor window indicates the last frame time as 00:41:43:02 

(hours:minutes:seconds:frames). This translates to 75092 frames. 

However, when examining the properties of the clip (under the Premier file menu), the 

duration is 00:41:45:18 and the number of frames is 75168. In addition, when looking at 

the file in LabView, the number of frames is 75168. 

There is a difference of 75 frames (approximately 2.5 s) between the timeline length and 

the properties/Labview length. The DV capture frame rate is 29.97 frames/s. The AVI 

file properties (viewed by Labview) shows 30 frames/s, which was the setting used 

during compression (all captured DV is compressed to save file space and improve 

throughput). To prevent a mismatch in timing between video frames and GPS data 

associated with each video frame, make sure the compression frame rate matches the 

capture frame rate.
52 

Appendix B Creating a DVD using DVDit!

The following section describes how to create a DVD using DVDit (www.sonic.com), 

which is bundled with Premier. The first step is to use Premier to create an m2v (video) 

file and a wav (audio) file (see the Premier help for creating these files). 

Figure 37. The main window in DVDit 

The next step is to import the files into DVDit and to build the DVD menus. The steps 

below refer to Figure 37. 

1. Use default theme 

2. Create menus 

• Select menu under Menu/Movie button 

• Select Background under Pallet window buttons 

• Drag a background into Menu/Movie placeholder in Menu/Movie list. 

• Edit menu name, e.g., “main menu” 

3. Create menu entries (buttons or text). 

• Select menu under Menu/Movie button 

• Select appropriate menu (may already be visible in Video monitor) 
53 

• Select either Button (button 2) or Text (button 3) under Pallet window buttons 

• Drag item onto menu and edit text appropriately 

4. Import media 

• Select Media (button 4) under Pallet window buttons 

• Right click in window and select “add files to theme” 

• In pop-up browser, highlight .m2v and .wav files (should have same name) and 

click open. This will insert media into Pallet window 

5. Select first play 

• Select movie under Menu/Movie button 

• Drag media (both video and audio files) onto First Play placeholder 

6. Link media to menu buttons 

• Make sure menu is visible (select Menu under Menu/Movie button) 

• Drag media (mv2 and wav files) onto button 

The following steps describe how to burn the DVD. These steps appear at 

http://support.sonic.com/kb/default.asp?type=desktop&product=dvdit

Title 

Building a DVD Folder to your hard drive using DVDit! and then burning a DVD. 

DVDit can burn a project right to a DVD. However, creating a volume on a drive 

enables you to make additional copies without having to have the original DVD to make 

a copy. Attempting to create a volume on the disk failed with unknown error. The 

following procedure did work. Before you begin, create two new folders on the top level 

of a local hard drive. The hard drive must NOT be part of a RAID or network 

configuration. Name one folder “DVDit! Temp” and the other the name of you project, 

e.g. “Wedding Video”. When you finish creating your session, build your session to 

your hard drive. You can do this by going to your Build Menu-->Make DVD Folder. 

1) GENERAL TAB 

Source: Current Project. 

Output Options: Should be blank. 

Path: Top Level of hard disk. NOTE: Make sure that the drive you select is local to your 

machine and not a RAID or network drive. 

2) ADVANCED TAB 

uncheck all boxes 
54 

Path: Select your DVDit! Temp folder. Browse to this folder in your Path dialog and 

select it just in case you decide later down the line to save your cached files. This will 

make them easy to locate for later use or deletion if they become corrupt. 

3) Click OK. The build process begins. 

When finished, burn the Volume to DVD. Go to the drive you built the project on and 

place the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders into the second folder you created for your 

project title (e.g. “Wedding Video”). This prevents errors in DVDit! from accidentally 

burning data files with your video files. 

From here, you have two options: you can either burn your DVD using DVDit! Or you 

can burn your DVD using a third party data burning application such Roxio or Prassi. 

-------------- 

**NOTE: BE SURE THAT YOUR BURNING APPLICATION SUPPORTS YOUR 

BURNER AND YOUR DVD MEDIA TYPE!** 

OPTION 1--Using DVDit!: 

1) Go into your DVDit! Build Menu-->Make DVD Disc. 

2) GENERAL TAB 

Source: DVD Volume. Click the browse button. Locate your session folder (e.g. 

“Wedding Video”) and open it so you can see the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders. 

These should be the only folders. 

Output Options: Check this ONLY if you are creating a cDVD. 

Recorder: Select your recorder 

Number of Copies: 1 

Options: Test and Create disc 

3) Click OK. 

Burning begins. 

-------------- 

OPTION 2--Using a third Party Application 

1) Choose to create a Data disc in your burning application 
55 

2) Drag the AuDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders into your to-be-burned or data field. Be 

sure you have dragged the folders ONLY and no other files. These are the only two 

items (and their contents) to burn. 

3) You may want to run in simulation mode if you haven't done this process before to 

make sure you have the proper buffer speed and RAM allocated to your machine for a 

clean burn. If it works, then burn the disc for real. 

 

 The following error occurred in an attempt to create a DVD. 

The solution below appears on the Sonic website. Actually, this problem occurs when 

“current project” is not selected in Build->Make DVD folder->general->Source. 

 

Title 

DVDERR,-16019 

Solution 

This is bug that we are currently working on fixing in a new release in MyDVD/DVDit!. So far, we have been able to 

determine that it may have to do with where your files are placed on the hard drive and where they have come 

from. Usually, this happens when the audio_ts and video_ts folders from a pre-made DVD (either Hollywood or a 

consumer made) are dropped onto the hard drive and the user tries to replicate them into another DVD or “back 

up”. Also, the error can be caused due to renaming the file, using non-alphanumeric characters (8 or less), or 

incorrect path settings as when the files has been moved while the session is in use. 

You may also want to be sure that you are building your session to the top level of your hard drive as well. Please 

follow the links on this page on how to do this. 
56 

Appendix C Extracting GPS data from video using VMS and 

MediaMapper

The VMS 300 is a device made by Redhen Systems (www.redhensystems.com) that 

consists of a DGPS receiver and electronics to convert the DGPS data into an audio 

signal for insertion on videotape. The VMS is also required to read the DGPS from the 

videotape. 

MediaMapper is the software provided by Redhen Systems to read the GPS data off the 

video tape and perform differential correction using EZDIFF (from within 

MediaMapper). MediaMapper is not required to write GPS data to the tape. The VMS 

does this automatically when the VMS is on and connected to the VCR. 

MediaMapper also contains EZDIFF to correct the GPS data if the VMS is running in 

differential mode (i.e., saves all satellite data). 

The corrected data is stored in an ASCII file. The corrected data allows the user to 

determine vehicle position and speed in the avi file at any point in time. The data is 

available once per second. 

The following sections describe the steps for creating the corrected GPS data file. 

C.1 VMS SetUp 

LANC

AUDIO

RS-232

DV 

Deck

VMS

Figure 38. Connecting the VMS to a VCR. 

The VMS serves as an interface between MediaMapper and the VCR. There are two 

cables between the VMS and the VCR and one cable between the VMS and the host 

computer for MediaMapper. The VMS requires an audio connection to the VCR’s 

audio/video jack so that it can read the GPS data off the audio track (the GPS data sounds 
57 

like a hiss and a beep every second). A LANC interface allows the VMS to send VCR 

controls commands (play, stop, etc.) to the VCR and to read the tape counter time from 

the VCR. An RS-232 cable connects to the back of the VMS to the host computer’s 

COM port. MediaMapper uses the serial interface to read the GPS and tape counter data 

and to sends tape commands (stop, play, etc.) to the VCR (via the VMS Lanc interface). 

C.2 Extracting GPS data with MediaMapper 

The goal of this step is to extract the GPS data that corresponds to a video clip. The GPS 

data file and video clip have the same root name. 

In MediaMapper, indexing a video means extracting the GPS data. The following steps 

are performed within MediaMapper. NOTE: MediaMapper only displays GPS points 

(i.e., the red points on the map) when indexing. When playing a tape you will only see an 

arrow move across the map without any trail of GPS points showing the previous 

positions. 

1. File->Add GPS Index 

2. Pick a name that corresponds to video file, e.g., 05-28-03 LDW Barriers_c. The 

program saves the file in the user/My Documents/Map Library by default. This is 

OK for now since the user will later convert the file into an Excel file and store it in 

the same directory as the video file. 

3. Index parameters: 

Use same name as video file 

The start time for the example clip is: 

00;15;48;24 

The number 24 indicates the frame count. MediaMapper time resolution is only 1 s. 

Start the capture a few seconds early, you can always edit out the unwanted times 

later using Excel. 

MediaMapper always rewinds to the beginning of the tape so do not bother moving 

the tape to the capture point. In addition, you cannot set the stop point, so set your 

stopwatch to the duration of the clip. 

While indexing, you should be able to see the GPS data and the serial data if you 

enable the displays (satellite and cable icon buttons below map to right). 

Noted Problems: 

1. The play button in MediaMapper would not cause VCR to play. Fix: rewind first, 

tape may have been at the end. 

2. The GPS data does not display. Fix: The audio volume may be too high (recall the 

GPS data is stored as an analog signal on the audio channel). Lower to around 1/3 

volume. 
58 

3. GPS drop out. Fix: Raise volume slightly. Dropouts still occurred. Went to tools-

>options->VMS setup->Camera Setup and checked box indicating RC time code or 

digital time (note that equipped with microphone power was also checked). No more 

dropouts occurred. 

4. When indexing an entire tape, if tape ends, MediaMapper sometimes aborts with an 

access violation error (see Figure 39). Fix: The files are still useable. Go to Map 

Library directory and double click on the name of the map you created, for example 

“03-15-05_8-23-36 AM_c.vtc”. When the map comes up, it contains no GPS points. 

To add the GPS data, go to File->Add Layers, go inside the index folder, and click on 

“03-15-05_8-23-36 AM_c.tab” (.tab files contain all the layers associated with a map 

file). Then you should see the trail of GPS points and can run post processing using 

EZDiff. 

Figure 39. Mediamapper sometimes hangs while indexing GPS and the video ends. 

C.3 Post process GPS data using EZDiff 

EZDiff is a software tool packaged with MediaMapper. The tool downloads base station 

corrections used to correct GPS data from a roving receiver. The base stations are part of 

the National Geodetic Survey’s Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). To 

run EZDiff: 

1. Select Tools->Differential Correction 

Retry if there is an FTP error getting on the CORS site. Below is an example processinglog from a running of EZDiff. 
59 

After EZDiff performs corrections, it produces a DBF (database file) called 05-28-03 

LDW Barriers_c.DBF (in C:\Documents and Settings\szabo\My Documents\Map 

Library\Indexes), which can be opened with Excel. 

Noted Problems: 

EZDiff produced the following error on 5/17/2004. 

**************************************************************** 

FTP Session Log File: 5/17/2004 2:37:16 PM EZdiff V2.0.0.18 

Connecting to [www.ngs.noaa.gov]. 

Setting mode to image (binary). 
60 

Changing directory to [/cors/rinex]. 

Successful directory change to [/cors/rinex]. 

Changing directory to [2004/118]. 

Successful directory change to [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Get directory listing of [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Successful download of directory listing for [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Changing directory to [galb]. 

Get directory listing of [/cors/rinex/2004/118/galb]. 

Changing directory to [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Successful directory change to [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Changing directory to [stkr]. 

Get directory listing of [/cors/rinex/2004/118/stkr]. 

Changing directory to [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Successful directory change to [/cors/rinex/2004/118]. 

Changing directory to [erla]. 

Get directory listing of [/cors/rinex/2004/118/erla]. 

Error: Rover data for today, hour [19] is too new to found on CORS FTP site. 

Try again later. 

Errors were found during FTP session.

Fix: 

1. Went in to options and Selected nearest CORS site and it returned DET1. Received a 

similar error message as above (“to new to found on CORS FTP site”> 

2. Downloaded New List – still got error 

3. Clicked on Select CORS site and chose det1. This worked. 

C.4 Create a jpg of GPS Points 

Follow the steps below to create a jpg of the map showing the GPS points read from the 

videotape. 
61 

1. Use zoom and hand to draw a window on the portion of the map containing the GPS 

points. 

2. Select window using rectangle tool. 

3. Select file->export->graphic. 

4. Pick save type, for example, jpg. 

5. Choose folder to save the jpg. 

C.5 Convert to LabView format using Excel 

The next step converts the dbf file into a vms file, which is the format used in Labview. 

1. Open a .DBF file using Excel. The .DBF file appears in My Documents\Map 

Library\Indexes. 

2. Find and replace “Post Diff” with PostDiff (LabView string processing routines don’t 

like spaces inside a string). 

3. Remove last column called WAYPOINT if there is nothing in the column. 

4. Save as .txt file (pull down Save as type: menu and select “Text (tab delimited) 

(*.txt)”) with same name as video(.avi) file in the same directory as the video file 

Click Yes 

5. When you quit, Excel will ask if you want to save changes to the .txt file. Click No. 

6. Go to directory, make a copy of the .txt file and give it a .vms suffix. This is what the 

LabView analyze data program will look for. Save the .txt file as a backup. 
62 

Appendix D Nonlinear Camera Calibration

A non-linear calibration technique implemented in AnalyzeData makes measurements 

over a large area. Figure 40 illustrates aspects of the calibration process. A calibration 

grid is required to calibrate the camera. The operator examines an image of the grid and 

identifies each grid point (Figure 41). The operator also enters the actual distances 

between the grid points, in meters. A nonlinear calibration routine runs and produces the 

transformation parameters. The parameters remove distortions in the image (Figure 42). 

The procedure requires a large number of grid points, which requires substantial time for 

setup and takedown, and for processing. When possible, use the calibration stick method. 

Figure 40. Camera calibration coordinate systems. 
63 

Figure 41. Nonlinear calibration grid 

with identified grid points (red circles). 

Figure 42. Nonlinear distortions 

removed after calibration. 
64 

Appendix E UTM Conversions

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates use a family of projections based on 

the Transverse Mercator projection. The projection consists of an ellipsoid divided into 

60 longitudinal zones of 6° each. The X value, called the Easting, has a value of 500,000 

meters at the central meridian of each zone. The Y value, called the Northing, has a 

value of 0 meters at the equator for the northern hemisphere, increasing toward the north 

pole, and a value of 10,000,000 m at the equator for the southern hemisphere, decreasing 

toward the south pole. 

The conversion routines used in the IMS use the Geographic Translator (GEOTRANS) 

software package. The source code is available from the National Geospatial-Intelligence 

Agency at http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/geotrans/. 

Figure 43. UTM and Military Grid Reference System zones. The UTM goes from 

1-60 for each hemisphere. The MGRS divides the zone laterally using letters C-X.