Photo: Omnitracs
There are plenty of driving safety features available today, which can alert drivers when there’s the risk of a potential collision, but what about when drivers are a danger to themselves? A new technology, based on artificial intelligence and computer vision, is here to (literally) keep an eye on drivers and prevent accidents caused by inattention.
Have you ever driven with someone that’s always nagging you about being on your phone, smoking or not paying enough attention while you’re driving? Well, this is what SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ does. Developed by Dallas-based company Omnitracs, this system emits an alert every time you happen to look down at your phone screen, close your eyes or smoke.
With 2 cameras integrated into a single unit, the system provides a view of the entire driver’s cabin, monitoring his face and eyes, so it can identify any signs of drowsiness, sleep, distraction, phone use, cigarette use and seatbelt use. Basically, it will watch you like a hawk and not only alert you every time you manifest one of these signs, but also transmit this information to a remote third-party, like the manager of a fleet. The double benefit is that drivers stay safe and fleet managers can know, in real time, if the driver is being inattentive or at risk.
Statistics confirm what we already know - that a big percentage of accidents are caused by common distractions, and truck drivers with extensive shifts are mostly at risk.
The idea of having something to snap you back to reality if you’re losing focus while driving sounds great, and SmartSense does that by using advanced algorithms, based on computer vision, which are able to interpret signs like specific head positions or the direction of eye gaze. It also incorporates infrared vision, so that it can provide alerts even at night, whenever there’s low visibility or if the driver is wearing sunglasses.
Even though it’s mainly targeted at trucking companies, this ingenious technology could come in handy for any driver interested in quitting some bad driving habits. In any case, Omnitracs’ SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ will be available starting this summer.
With 2 cameras integrated into a single unit, the system provides a view of the entire driver’s cabin, monitoring his face and eyes, so it can identify any signs of drowsiness, sleep, distraction, phone use, cigarette use and seatbelt use. Basically, it will watch you like a hawk and not only alert you every time you manifest one of these signs, but also transmit this information to a remote third-party, like the manager of a fleet. The double benefit is that drivers stay safe and fleet managers can know, in real time, if the driver is being inattentive or at risk.
Statistics confirm what we already know - that a big percentage of accidents are caused by common distractions, and truck drivers with extensive shifts are mostly at risk.
The idea of having something to snap you back to reality if you’re losing focus while driving sounds great, and SmartSense does that by using advanced algorithms, based on computer vision, which are able to interpret signs like specific head positions or the direction of eye gaze. It also incorporates infrared vision, so that it can provide alerts even at night, whenever there’s low visibility or if the driver is wearing sunglasses.
Even though it’s mainly targeted at trucking companies, this ingenious technology could come in handy for any driver interested in quitting some bad driving habits. In any case, Omnitracs’ SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ will be available starting this summer.
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