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Driver's Drowsiness Detection

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About this project

This is a proposal for a proof of concept for a driver's drowsiness detection system.

The system is monitoring the driver's electrocardiogram directly and analyzing it in order to detect signs of fatigue.

When signs are detected, a warning is issued to the driver to take a rest.

Visibility
Public
Last updated
9 May 2022

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Proposal

Our Proposal

Need: which problem(s) does your proposal solve?

Annually 1.3 mio people loose their lives in traffic related accidents on a global scale.

In Germany it is estimated that up to 50% of traffic accidents on highways are fatigue related.

Detecting drowsiness before it is reaching a dangerous level would reduce this.

Approach: how does your project solve the problem(s)?

A driver's alertness is often estimated based on the movements of the car. In the DDD solution this is done by producing an electrocardiograph of the driver. This ECG is compared to the ECG of the same driver when he/she is considered rested. E.g. at the beginning of the day.

If signs of drowsiness are detected, the driver is given a warning and encouraged to make a rest.

The DDD solution is comprised of a steering wheel cover with embedded electrically conductive fabric. When grabbed by the driver's hands the ECG is measured by a sensor. The sensor sends the measurements through a signal conditioner and cleaning the signal to a degree, where they can be analysed.

The signals are via Bluetooth send to a smartphone running a Road Safety App. The phone is providing Cloud connectivity. The signal is analyzed in the cloud. If signs of drowsiness is detected, a warning is returned to the phone, to warn the driver.

Alternatives: what other alternatives could solve the problem(s)?

Expand the DDD system with :

  • Eye movement detection
  • Breath detection
  • Car behavior detection
  • Steering wheel movement detection
  • Measurement of uninterrupted driving time
Benefits: what are the benefits of your proposal?

The solution is car independent.

By having standard steering wheel covers the DDD solution can be retrofitted to any car - even less expensive cars, where the installed safety features are less prominent than in high end cars.

From a business case perspective, the DDD solution has very little equipment installed in the car.

The solution can be offered as a subscription based solution directly from vendor or via e.g. insurance companies.

 

Advantage: what gives your project the competitive edge?

Aftermarket solution for drowsiness detection systems have not been seen.

The solution is non-intrusively measuring directly the condition of the driver, in contrast to monitoring the behavior of the car.

Prospective Partners: what might you expect from prospective project partners?

The first phase of the DDD is a proof of concept implemented as a field trial.

Two partners have been identified to supply steering wheel covers, sensors and analytics sw.

Two partners (in Germany and in Saudi Arabia) have given a commitment to participate in the field trial.

Collaboration with Road Safety App developer is being established.