FREE SPACE MONITORING SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

In complex vehicle maneuvers it is often difficult for the driver of the motor vehicle to estimate along which tract the vehicle will move and how much free space is necessary in order to avoid collision. A process is provided for monitoring the environment space in the direction of travel of the own vehicle, in which image data of the environment around the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recorded using a camera system the three-dimensional free space required for unimpeded travel is calculated in advance in a signal processing unit and the vehicle operator is informed regarding whether or not a sufficient free space is available to him for unimpeded travel.