Sleep recognition system of drivers

2005/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Teknologia

A group of students from the Public University of Navarra presented a device that analyzes the brain waves of drivers.

The waves are analyzed one by one and, if abnormal behavior is detected, it means that the driver sleeps. Therefore, the device warns before the accident.

Using magnetic sensors located in the skull, the device sends the information to a PDA and the PDA, after analyzing the wave type, acts accordingly. That is, the PDA analyzes the information that arrives and checks if the wave is normal or, on the contrary, the driver sleeps. In this second case, other devices would have to be launched, whose objective would be to awaken the driver, warn of the situation or remove the vehicle from the road.

When a person sleeps, the amplitude of these brain waves increases and the frequency decreases. In the transition between alpha and theta waves, the person is dorsal. And at that time the device would be put into operation.

There are other somnolence detection systems on the market. For example, systems that analyze the movement of the eye or head through cameras. The system is activated when the eyes flicker a lot, the driver is neglected or tilts the head.

However, the new system developed by students has the advantage that it detects sleep before symptoms appear.

The price of the device is approximately 4,500 euros, so it is still very expensive.