Experimental Steering Wheel Puts Virtual Doctor Onboard

German researchers at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, embed sensors in a vehicle steering wheel that automatically can detect a range of health issues and warn drivers that they should not be on the road.

The data is recorded by a circular conductivity sensor on the steering wheel, along with a red glowing sensor that measures blood-oxygen saturation.

The sensors can recognize human conditions ranging from feeling faint to suffering a heart attack merely by evaluating data received from the skin touching the steering wheel. No complicated wiring or electrodes attached to the body are required. The technology eventually could prevent impaired drivers from cruising highways, researchers say.

Collaborating with BMW engineers, the TUM team from the Department of Micro Technology and Medical Device Technology, led by Lorenzo T. D'Angelo and Tim C. Lueth, says the sensors can record a driver's blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen saturation in the blood.

They also can evaluate skin conductivity to determine whether a driver is suffering from severe stress while in traffic. All that is required for the system to record these symptoms is for the driver's hands to remain on the steering wheel. There is nothing to distract him from focusing on the road ahead while the health check is performed.

The TUM team has installed the steering wheel in a BMW 730d and recently tested the system on 21 drivers whose average age was 65. Five of them were women. Each subject drove a 10-minute course three times on a highway, state road and through city streets. The course was about 10 miles (16 km).

During the first two trips, drivers were instructed to touch the sensors on the steering wheel at will. In the third trip, reference electrodes were attached to the drivers and they were instructed to touch the sensors as often as possible.

Drivers could view health measurements on a display the researchers installed in the car.

Upon completion of the three driving tests, the subjects filled out a questionnaire on how they rated the system. More than 80% said they were highly motivated to have the sensors check their health status.

More than 90% said they would like the vehicle to have an emergency stopping system if the sensors detected a medical emergency. The drivers preferred this option over a system that merely would make a call when an emergency situation was detected.

However, Andreas Battenberg, a TUM spokesman, says further development would be necessary before a person could be prevented from starting to drive if the system detected abnormal symptoms before a trip began.

The project is part of the Fit4Age research program “Assistance Systems for an Aging Society.” It received a grant from the Bavarian Research Foundation and the BMW Group.