Spanish researchers have designed, with a low cost, a sensor system capable of detecting signs of fatigue of a driver in traffic situations that could be distraction to him/her. This invention will help prevent car accidents occurred because of exhaustion or distraction, according to EFE news agency.
Danger warnings for drivers to prevent accidents
The equipment consists of four sensors that monitor various physical parameters of the driver and the position of the steering wheel. Based on these information it is able to emit a series of audio signals to alert the driver if a risk is detected.
According to the researchers, tiredness is accompanied by a variety of symptoms, from blurred vision to anxiety and also changes in the driver's behavior.
Jaime Lloret from the University of Valencia noted that most current solutions used to increase the Safety of the Drivers are focuses on detecting eye movement and mimic, but the new system goes further than that.
Audio signal when the driver is tired
The system consists of an electronic board that acts like a central processing unit, two pressure sensors placed on the steering wheel and two other ones that measure the temperature of the driver and monitor his/her both hands. It also includes a light sensor and a device that generates an audio warning if it detects that the driver is tired of distracted.
More, it also has shock sensor that detects possible collisions or a sudden braking system and a button placed on the steering wheel to reset the system after an alarm has been generated, as Sandra Sendra, a researcher at the University of Granada explained.
The sensors are connected to the central circuit board. This board receives data every second and then it processes and analyzes them using an algorithm to verify if the values collected are within the parameters considered normal.
When any of these sensors recorded values exceeding normal parameters the algorithm attempts to define whether it is a false alarm or if the sensors have detected a possible case of fatigue or distraction of the driver. In this case an acoustic signal is triggered.
All recordings are stored on a memory card for a possible post-processing in case of an accident.
