A windshield transparency control method using an automobile camera for alleviating black-hole phenomenon at the tunnel entrance

Blackout effect occurs when a driver misadapts to the changed lighting conditions upon entering a tunnel. This could lead to a decrease in visibility especially in the daylight, depending on the difference in the degree of brightness between inside and outside the tunnel. To alleviate such a problem, we decrease windshield transparency before the driver arrives at the tunnel entrance. Controlled amount of light inside the car can allow the drivers to adjust to the dark prior to entering. The windshield transparency coefficient is to be determined by the arrival time at the tunnel and difference in the level of brightness between inside and outside the tunnel. Navigation, road sign detection, and tunnel entrance detection provide the arrival time. We also designed an opto-electronic conversion function to estimate the level of brightness. The black-hole phenomenon alleviation method is verified by field experiments using an automobile camera and a navigation. The result shows that the adjusted windshield transparency is able to provide an environment with a comfortable level of brightness with which the drivers can enter tunnels without the visibility problem.