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The FitDrive project is using advanced monitoring technologies to spot early signs of driver fatigue to improve road safety and prevent accidents.
According to road safety charity Brake, it is estimated that between 10% and 20% of all road crashes worldwide are fatigue-related. Tired drivers have slower reaction times and are less able to control their vehicles. For this reason, Brake claims that driving tired can be as dangerous as drink-driving.
If a driver starts feeling tired behind the wheel they may rub the back of their neck, yawn, stretch their shoulders or rub their eyes. They may not even be aware they are showing these indicators of the onset of mental and physical fatigue.
However, a new tool in development by a team of EU researchers is able to detect these signs and alert drivers that they should pay more attention or even take a break.
Led by the ITCL Technology Centre in Spain, the FitDrive project, which received funding from the European Union’s Horizon programme, is building technology that integrates into a vehicle’s software. While existing technology may be capable of sending alerts if the vehicle swerves from a lane, for instance, it is not customised to an individual driver and their driving style.
Rather than creating a one-size-fits-all algorithm for all drivers, the challenge the team had was knowing exactly when fatigue kicks in for a particular driver. Using a car simulator with volunteer drivers, cameras recorded the drivers’ faces, and headsets monitored their brain waves.
This data was then fed into an algorithm that, combined with data gathered from an electronic bracelet that monitors heart rate, arm movement patterns and perspiration, can detect when a driver is getting tired.
The algorithm was able to adapt itself to each individual driver, enabling the tool to detect the cues of tiredness and assess the risks for that particular driver.
Following these simulator tests, the research team now plan to conduct real-world tests in Ireland, Italy and Spain.
The project, which has 10 partners from seven countries including France, Germany, Spain and Sweden, will run until the end of February 2025. The participants in the project include Advanticsys, a Spanish company that specialises in sensors and software, and the European Driving Schools Association.
