Technology Companies Keeping Closer Tabs on Drivers

Driver monitoring is becoming a major source of anxiety for the automotive industry as more Level 2 and Level 2+ and above autonomous features come into the market.

The issue is, how can automakers be sure drivers – who have been enjoying hands-free driving for parts of their journeys – will be fully aware and able to take control of the vehicle when the automated systems require them.

Two new systems launched this month at auto technology events seek to raise the bar in driver monitoring, which until now has mainly interested insurance assessors gauging risks posed by awareness and driver fatigue.

The first sees a consortium of radar and camera ADAS specialists team up to create what they claim is a groundbreaking driver monitoring system. Camera in-cabin analysis software specialist Emotion3D, radar technology developer Chuhang Tech and a start-up specializing in sleep onset prediction, Sleep Advice Technologies (SAT), have partnered to develop a multi-sensor in-cabin analysis system.

Unveiled at this month’s ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo Europe, the companies claim to have developed a solution that uses multiple sensors to detect signs of drowsiness and fatigue. A combination of Emotion3D’s human analysis software stack Cabin Eye, which gathers valuable information on the driver from camera images, and radar solutions from Chuhang Tech will be used to analyze vital signs. These will be partnered with SAT’s sleep onset prediction algorithms to accurately identify signs of drowsiness in real-time.

The system will also provide features required by the Euro NCAP safety-rating program, including distraction warnings and child presence detection enabled by Chuhang Tech’s mmWave radar technology.

Wogong Zhang, CTO and co-founder of Chuhang Tech, says: “We believe that our joint solution, combining radar technology with advanced imaging algorithms, will be a game-changer in drowsiness detection and child presence detection, making our roads safer for everyone. In the meantime, it provides a perfect multi-sensor fusion for smart in-cabin applications.”

Meanwhile, driver monitoring system (DMS) specialist Smart Eye (pictured, below) unveils its new artificial intelligence-powered system at the InCabin event in Brussels. This system goes further into monitoring the health of the driver including fully remote monitoring of heart and respiration rates.

Smart Eye Banner

It also tracks the driver's physiological indicators of sudden illnesses or unresponsive behavior while operating a vehicle, such as heart attacks or seizures. Additionally, the technology facilitates the transmission of post-crash data, including heart and respiration rates, to emergency responders, ultimately leading to more efficient healthcare interventions, which in turn affect insurance claims.

The AI software is applied to a non-contact, camera system that measures variations in light reflection from the skin, enabling the estimation of heart rate. Another method employed is micro-movement analysis, allowing the software to identify subtle changes in movements associated with breathing or pulse undetectable to the human eye.

It uses 940-nanometer-wavelength infrared light to detect reflections on the skin, ensuring an unobtrusive user experience. This infrared light also enables detection in challenging lighting conditions in a moving vehicle, such as darkness or intense sunlight.

Henrik Lind, chief research officer at Smart Eye, says: “By integrating heart and respiration rate detection into Smart Eye’s world-leading driver monitoring system software, we provide an even deeper layer of insight into driver state and health. Highly requested by the automotive industry, this technology offers OEMs an opportunity to proactively address health emergencies and ensure safer road experiences.”