A big problem for drivers who have ever driven long distances over times when thier bodies might be asleep know how difficult it is to stay awake. I sometimes have to slap myself in the face to stay awake, however some people don't even have the state of mind to even realize they are in trouble and have succomed to bad accidents or even death.
That is where this device would come in to play. There has to be some kind of device which could be mounted in the steering wheel or in the dash assembly which could scan for open eyes a few times a second. If the eyes were not open for a second or more it could send a signal to the driver in many different ways. There are eye scanners that possible could be adapted to recognize position of the head and placement of the eyes and whether there is a reflective surface or not (eyelids). If driver turns his head momentarily the computer would recognize this and not false-alarm. Also the sensors should be able to distinguish between turned head and head pitched forward (as in asleep). Possible solutions to this crucial component, the ability for the sensor and programming to be able to distinguish, could be a "learning" mode where verbal commands could be given by the computer so the sensors could be adjusted and aligned to new driver.
The driver could choose from different methods of notification including Audible, Visual or vibration to the wheel or seat, or combinations of all the above. Potential adverse effect could be scareing or frightening the driver which is why the notification modes should be adjustable and completely modifiable.
The importance of this device is tremendous, and the need is great. Lives could be saved, maybe your own! JD
Saw this onceSubmitted by neomenlo on Sun, 03/09/2008 - 16:41.
I saw this one time on the discovery channel or something. What they had done was use a video camera and a computer. The camera would pick points of the face, like several points on the eyebrow, points on the eyelids, and points on the mouth and cheeks. It would then analyse changes like drooping. If it noticed the changes, it would actually start teaching you to speak Swedish. They had done some research that the repition and just talking helps people stay awake. They decided to to a language because you would actually learn something, and it wouldn't have to be distracting or irritating. People are really irritable when they're tired, so if it encouraged you to talk to someone, you'd probably get in an emotional fight. |
|