HD-TVI: The best of both worlds

• HD-TVI technology combines the robustness and economy of analog systems with the high image quality of digital systems, making it ideal for mobile machinery assistance systems.

• Assistance systems like 360-degree cameras and people detection systems enhance safety by alerting operators to potential hazards, reducing accidents and downtime.

• HD-TVI cameras record digital images up to FullHD at 30 fps and convert them to analog signals for transmission, allowing the use of existing analog infrastructure.

• Motec offers HD-TVI-based 360-degree top view and people detection systems, with up to four HD cameras transmitting images at 30 fps, designed for harsh environmental conditions.

• HD-TVI systems are cost-effective for manufacturers, enabling software-based calibration and easy integration or retrofitting without physical adjustments.

When choosing the right camera system for implementing assistance and safety systems for mobile machinery, machine manufacturers often have to make a difficult decision. Either analog - robust, economical, but with lower image quality - or digital - less robust, expensive, highest image quality. HD-TVI technology combines the best of both worlds and is the ideal basis for assistance systems for mobile machinery.

Manufacturers of mobile machinery are faced with the challenge that their customers expect increased comfort as well as modern safety and assistance systems. Particularly in view of the fact that there are fewer and fewer trained machine operators, intelligent systems are needed to support and relieve inexperienced personnel in the construction and agricultural sectors or in warehouse logistics when operating vehicles and machines. In mobile machinery, such assistance systems also monitor the work process.

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In these applications, personnel safety in the vicinity of the machine plays a decisive role. The machines are often very large and have attachments that may set very high forces and masses in motion. A collision between a person and the vehicle or attachment can have serious or even fatal consequences. Assistance systems such as 360-degree camera or monitoring systems with person or object detection help to avoid these serious consequences. They provide timely alerts to the machine operator if a person or object is detected in the danger zone, thereby increasing safety on the construction site, in the field or on the road.

Typical application scenarios

One of the common situations that can create dangerous situations are turning maneuvers. If a crossing bicycle with right of way is in the blind spot of a large machine a 360-degree camera system helps to make the cyclist visible and alert the machine operator in time to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

Another example can be found in warehouse logistics. The lift mast of forklift trucks inevitably creates poor visibility angles for the driver. If a person is in this area, there is a risk of collision, especially as the forks of the forklift truck usually reach several meters in front of the actual vehicle. People detection systems that monitor the entire area in front of the vehicle can alert the forklift driver to people (and objects) in the way with an acoustic or visual early warning, thus reducing the risk of accidents.

Lutz Boettger, Vice President for Sales and Marketing at AMETEK ICVS, explains: "Camera-based 360-degree camera and people detection systems have the potential to help save lives. And fewer accidents also mean reduced downtime and lower insurance costs. So the importance of intelligent driver assistance systems cannot be overstated."

Choosing the right technology

When integrating these camera-based systems, machine manufacturers face the challenge of choosing the right technology - analog or digital. Analog systems are proven, economical and robust. They work without latency and are impervious to electromagnetic influences.

Furthermore, no image artifacts occur with analog systems. The disadvantage of analog camera systems lies in the lower maximum image quality. Analog cameras provide image signals that are below HD quality and are therefore not suitable for complex systems in which the highest precision and reliability of obstacle detection is required.

Digital camera systems, on the other hand, can score points when it comes to image quality. They enable video signals in Ultra HD/4k quality or higher. They also offer adjustable resolution and refresh or compression rates. With integrated processors, they can perform assistance functions such as object recognition and tracking. Digital systems can also be updated via software, which makes them future-proof and ready for the addition of optional software functionalities. However, digital cameras also have disadvantages. Firstly, they are more expensive than analog systems due to the additional CPU components and the more complex technology. And secondly, digital transmission technology can cause latency and EMC interference, which can be relevant to safety under certain circumstances. Dr. Stefan Wirtz explains: "Choosing the right camera technology for intelligent driver assistance systems is difficult and always a compromise. However, the best possible image quality in real time should be on top of the list. One solution could be systems based on HD-TVI."

Save time and costs

HD-TVI combines the advantages of analog and digital camera and transmission technology. HD-TVI cameras record digital images up to FullHD at 30 fps, and then convert them into an analog signal for signal transmission. This means that existing analog technology can still be used for wired transmission. HD-TVI signals can be transmitted as CVBS (Composite Video Baseband Signal) with 75 Ohm, i.e. the classic analog transmission technology, via coaxial cable from the camera to the display. Compared to fully digital systems, HD-TVI solutions therefore deliver similar performance at a lower cost. In addition, analog transmission has three fundamental advantages:

1. There is no potential for latency or artifact formation, as can occur with digital systems.

2. At the same time, very long distances of up to 500 m can be covered with coaxial cables.

3. Existing coaxial-based cable harnesses can still be used.

Only the camera and the display need to be replaced with an HD-TVI-capable alternative. This makes integration very user-friendly and reduces the amount of spare parts required.

HD-TVI systems are an economical option for manufacturers of mobile machinery, as the software-based calibration of camera systems in large-scale production vehicles offers great potential for saving time during commissioning. Machine manufacturers can load the calibration parameters onto the entire fleet via a user-friendly USB stick. Depending on the number of vehicles, machine manufacturers can therefore achieve significant cost savings.

Thanks to software support, HD-TVI cameras can be used to create perspective-optimized 3D images when used in a 360-degree system. This eliminates the potential for blind spots that still exist in 2D systems.

In addition, \ the software-based height compensation of the system allows for compensation of camera mounting points at different heights. This makes integration but also retrofitting even easier - existing cameras can be replaced without any physical adjustments.

Motec components with HD-TVI technology

Motec offers manufacturers of mobile machinery both 360-degree top view systems and HD-TVI-based people detection systems. Up to four HD cameras transmit images at 30 fps and can be connected in one system. Different viewing angles can be combined individually. For example, when backing up, the system automatically switches the image to the rearward facing camera. The algorithms are calculated by a powerful video controller with HD-TVI interfaces.

Like all Motec components, cameras, displays and controllers are designed for use in the most adverse environmental conditions and have high protection classes up to IP69K as well as a particularly wide operating temperature range.