Sensors stop drivers from dozing off

Sensors can detect minute changes in the pressure and positioning of the driver’s hands

A German engineering company has developed sensor technology that prevents drivers from falling asleep while behind the wheel.

Sensofoil, from Hoffmann + Krippner, consists of sensors within the steering wheel that can detect minute changes in the pressure and positioning of the driver’s hands. In response to such changes, an alert such as a seat vibration or sound is triggered to restore concentration or prompt the driver to pull over and rest. 

Traffic experts claim that 25% of all road accidents are caused by extreme fatigue. Hoffmann + Krippner said the technology could react to a change in pressure within 200 milliseconds, quick enough to prevent drivers from taking ‘micro-sleeps’, a leading cause of accidents.

Chief executive Jens Kautzor said Sensofoil had been designed with an automotive application in mind. “The technology requires very little external energy since power consumption is very low. The sensor system is insensitive to electromagnetic radiation and so ideal for the automotive sector.”

Similar efforts to address driver fatigue are already in advanced stages of development. Many manufacturers have been using eye-tracking and virtual reality to improve safety in cars, and earlier this year Jaguar Land Rover developed an innovative 3D instrument cluster which uses the latest head- and eye-tracking technology to create a natural-looking 3D image on the instrument panel. 

Mercedes-Benz has also been researching the analysis of brainwave patterns to identify drowsiness and inattentiveness in drivers.