Robust object detection in autonomous driving is challenged by inherent limitations of conventional frame-based cameras, such as motion blur and limited dynamic range. In contrast, event-based cameras, which operate asynchronously and capture rapid changes with high temporal resolution and expansive dynamic range, offer a promising augmentation. While the previous research on event-based object detection has predominantly focused on algorithmic enhancements via advanced preprocessing and network optimizations to improve detection accuracy, the practical engineering and integration challenges of deploying these sensors in real-world systems remain underexplored. To address this gap, our study investigates the integration of event-based cameras as a complementary sensor modality in autonomous driving. We adapted a conventional frame-based detection model (YOLOv8) for event-based inputs by training it on the GEN1 dataset, achieving a mean average precision (mAP) of 70.1%, a significant improvement over previous benchmarks. Additionally, we developed a real-time object detection pipeline optimized for event-based data, integrating it into the CARLA simulation environment and ROS for system prototyping. The model was further refined using transfer learning to better adapt to simulation conditions, and the complete pipeline was validated across diverse simulated scenarios to address practical challenges. These results underscore the feasibility of incorporating event cameras into existing perception systems, paving the way for their broader deployment in autonomous vehicle applications.

Predicting potential collisions with leading vehicles is a fundamental capability of autonomous and assisted driving systems. In particular, automatic emergency braking (AEB) demands reaction times on the order of microseconds. A key limitation of existing approaches lies in their update rate, which is constrained by the sampling speed of conventional sensors. Event-based Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVSs), with their microsecond temporal resolution and high dynamic range, offer a promising alternative to frame-based cameras in challenging driving environments. In this work, we investigate the integration of DVS into autonomous driving pipelines, focusing specifically on AEB scenarios. Building on our earlier work, where a YOLO-based detection model was trained on real-world DVS data, we extend the approach to CARLA’s simulated DVS environment. We publish a CARLA-compatible 2-channel DVS dataset aligned with our detection model, bridging the gap between real-world recordings and simulation. Through a series of simulated AEB scenarios, we demonstrate how DVS enables earlier and more reliable detection compared to RGB cameras, resulting in improved braking performance.