Saab wakes up dozy drivers
14/11/2007
Research has shown that not only are 20% of accidents cause by sleepiness, but death tolls from sleep-related incidents are three times higher than other accidents, presumably because the drivers do not swerve or apply their brakes. In fact, more than 300 people in the UK a year are killed as a result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Saab’s Driver Attention Warning System is a development project designed to designed to help reduce these figures by alerting the driver, using a combination of text and voice messages, or vibrations in the seat cushion, as soon as the risk of drowsiness or inattention is detected.
Unlike other similar systems, the Driver Attention Warning System does not rely on measuring an erratic change in the steered direction of the vehicle. It is designed rather to detect the onset of drowsiness or inattention, rather than the immediate consequences. Utilising two miniature infra-red cameras, both focused on the driver’s eyes, the system uses software to analyse the camera’s images to check for a of pattern long duration eye-lid closures - indicating the potential onset of drowsiness.
The cameras are also able to monitor the driver’s eye-ball and head movement. As soon as the driver's gaze moves away from what is defined as the 'primary attention zone' – the central part of the windscreen in front of the driver – a timer starts counting. If the driver's eyes and head do not return to the ‘straight ahead’ position within about two seconds, the driver’s seat cushion will vibrate. This will stop once the position of the driver’s eyes and head are consistent with the vehicle’s direction of travel.
The Driver Attention Warning System is a logical extension of Saab’s real-life safety philosophy. It takes account of what the driver actually does behind the wheel, rather than what he or she should be doing. The system, installed in a Saab 9-3 Sport Wagon, is the work of the Human Vehicle Integration team at GME Engineering in Trollhättan, Sweden and is part of a development programme, Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems (IVSS), supported by the Swedish government and involving the national Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI).
"It is a fact that many drivers do not stop and get out of the car if they are feeling drowsy. So we are now trying to help drivers to help themselves," says Arne Nåbo, head of the Human Vehicle Integration team, which specialises in driver ergonomics and managing the interface with in-car ‘infotainment’ systems for Saab cars.