Put the Brakes on Drowsy Driving

сроки выпуска :2017-12-07

 

There is technology that can tell when you’re sleepy by scanning your eyes. That was the assertion Rep. John Mica delivered to fellow Representatives at a meeting of the U.S. House of Representative’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit last month. Other members of the panel had never heard of such technology, but Mica was basically right: Several companies have now developed face-scanning devices that operate in the cab of a truck to alert the driver when he or she shows signs of sleepiness. 

 

Researchers have been trying to address the problem of drowsy driving through technology for some time. Early solutions involved devices worn on the ear that would sound an alarm when the driver’s head nodded, an indication of sleep. Still available on the market, these devices can be purchased for less than $20, but their limitations are obvious. Any nodding movement of the head will trigger the alarm, whether the driver is sleepy or not, and the over-the-ear sensor can be distracting for some people. Worse, an alarm that doesn’t sound until a driver is falling asleep may come too late. 

Mercedes-Benz now offers an Attention Assist in some of its models, which takes driver monitoring to another level. The Assist is software that uses the engine’s control unit to monitor driving changes that might indicate a drowsy operator. It responds to jerky steering motions and other habits by alerting the driver that he or she may need to take a rest. Other types of vehicle-responsive systems can even tell when the driver’s grip on the steering wheel changes.

 

In recent years, two entirely new systems have come on the market to detect biological changes that occur in the driver’s own body when sleepiness sets in. The first uses a system of cameras, infrared lighting and software to identify changes in the driver’s face. It is already in operation in certain applications, mainly in the mining industry, and itis the technology Mica referenced in the House committee meeting. 

 

Early models of these camera-based solutions used one camera, but newer systems are making use of two. The cameras are mounted on the dashboard and track the driver’s face, feeding information back to the computer about frequency of blinking, time spent with the eyes shut, where a driver’s gaze is trained and pupil size. The infrared lights allow the camera to see the driver even in the dark, and the newer models work with sunglasses too.

The computer, which is typically mounted behind the driver’s seat, analyzes the data from the camera using algorithms to determine when the driver is showing signs of sleepiness. It can be set to alert the driver, either with a tone or a vibration, at different thresholds, and many can be connected back to computers at the driver’s home base to alert dispatchers when a driver has reached a dangerous degree of drowsiness. 

The wide-spread commercial use of this system in China was by Yutong. The company installed systems made by Chinese firm Roadefend into its long-distance passenger transportation vehicles. Saab actually offers a similar option in some if its high-end luxury cars.

 

The second type of physiology-based monitoring system, the newest, is still in the final stages of development. The EPIC Sensor was created by Plessey Semiconductors, a company that engineers devices for biological feedback in the medical and other industries. EPIC is a network of sensors that are embedded in a driver’s seat. The sensors are able, through clothing, to measure the driver’s electrocardiogram. By picking up on variations in the driver’s heart rate, the attached computer can determine when the driver is becoming sleepy. Plessey hopes to have the system installed in luxury cars by 2015.

 

Technology does exist, as Mica asserts, to detect driver drowsiness, but the trucking industry as a whole is not yet convinced of its usefulness. With the exception of head-nod sensors, all of this technology is still cost prohibitive for most carriers and owner-operators struggling to make a profit in a tight market. If carriers want to take advantage of computers that will alert home base when a driver shows signs of sleepiness, it may face the added cost of additional staff. Maintenance of high-end cameras, sensors and computers also poses the problems of practicality and expense. Finally, drivers themselves are resistant to allowing more eyes into their trucks. They insist that they know best when they need to rest and that having the regulatory and scheduling freedom to take breaks when they need them is the most logical solution to the problem of drowsy driving.