Real-time Nonintrusive Detection of Driver Drowsiness - Phase II - FY09 NATSRL
Principal Investigator:
Xun Yu, Assistant Professor, UMD-Mechanical & Industrial Eng
Project Summary:
This project is an extension of a previous project (Real-Time Nonintrusive Detection of Driver Drowsiness) that aims to develop a real-time, nonintrusive detection system to reduce crashes resulting from driver drowsiness. In this phase, biosensors will be built on the vehicle's steering wheel and the driver seatback to measure the driver's heart beat. Heart-rate variability (HRV), a physiological signal that has established links to waking/sleepiness stages, can thus be analyzed from the pulse signals to detect driver drowsiness. The novel design of the system (measuring heart rate from biosensors on the steering wheel and seatback) causes minimal annoyance for a driver, and the use of physiological signals ensures the accuracy of drowsiness detection. In Phase I, a biosensor with a pair of electrodes built on the steering wheel was tested for measuring heart rate for HRV analysis. However, this design requires a driver to place both hands on the steering wheel. In Phase II, the researchers are designing a biosensor that can measure heart rate when only one hand is on the steering wheel, which occurs more often in actual driving situations. Phase II also extends the project to incorporate real-world data acquisition and tests.
Sponsors:
- ITS Institute (RITA)
Project Details:
- Start date: 07/2008
- Project Status: Active
- Research Area: Transportation Safety and Traffic Flow