Researchers Develop a System for Detecting Driver Fatigue

 Driving  

Along with cars that drive themselves, researchers with a new European project called HARKEN are developing systems that monitor drivers to keep them operating their vehicles safely.

Driver fatigue is a common cause of road crashes, with about 20% of all car accidents involving a drowsy driver. When a person is driving while feeling sleepy, the risk of getting into an accident is pretty high, as their reaction time, along with concentration and alertness, is significantly reduced, resulting in seriously impaired driving abilities. In the event of an imminent collision, a sleepy driver is not able to swerve or brake in time to avoid an impact, which often results in a high-speed collision.

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This is why many car makers and independent researchers have been trying to come up with a technology that could help prevent these types of accidents, and one of the best potential solutions that have come up lately is being developed by the Biomechanics Institute (IBV) in Valencia, Spain. Researchers at the IBV have created a device that can monitor cardiac and respiratory rhythms, so that it can help keep drivers awake. The IBV's research efforts are part of the European project HARKEN.

The system includes sensors that are embedded into the seat-belt and the seat cover, measuring the driver's heart rate and respiratory rate, along with a warning mechanism, that alerts the driver when it detects that the rates have dropped too much. This way, the driver is able to react and take evasive action to avoid a collision. In addition to the sensors, there is a signal-processing unit, that processes the data provided by the sensor. The system measures the vital parameters in a non-invasive way, and researchers say that it's a fully-functional prototype that can be implemented into any car. The device is covered by a smart material that cancels out the effects caused by vibration inside the car and a driver's movements.

José Solaz, the IBV Director of Innovation in Automobile Markets and Mass Transportation, said that the heart and the respiratory rate are the most important indicators of a potential driver fatigue. “So when people go into a state of fatigue or drowsiness, modifications appear in their breathing and heart rate; HARKEN can monitor those variables and therefore warn the driver before the symptoms appear," Solaz said.

"When people go into a state of fatigue or drowsiness, modifications appear in their breathing and heart rate; HARKEN can monitor those variables and therefore warn the driver before the symptoms appear."

So far, the system has been tested in closed track tests, and researchers intend to have it tested in real-world traffic scenarios soon. Solaz said that preliminary tests have yielded positive results.

Like in the United States, driving fatigue is a serious issue that affects traffic safety in Europe, as well. According to statistics from the eSafety Forum, in the EU, about 100,000 accidents a year are caused by drowsy drivers, resulting in 125,000 injured people. Some 7,000 fatalities in driver fatigue-related accidents occur each year.

There are several types of drivers that are particularly susceptible to drowsy driving, including truck drivers, young male drivers, and shift workers. Factors that can contribute to drowsy driving include sleeping less than 7-8 hours a day, driving for several hours straight, especially on straight, monotonous roads, driving under the influence of alcohol, and taking medicines that can cause drowsiness.

By Jordan Perch Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV”

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