Car seats could detect when drivers are falling asleep

LONDON — The dangers of falling asleep while driving may soon become a thing of the past with the development of car seats that can detect when a driver is beginning to nod off.

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom are looking at how to embed an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor system into the fabric of car seats in an effort to save lives.

The sensor system can be used to detect heart signals that indicate a driver is beginning to lose alertness and trigger a warning to pull over.

Should the driver choose to ignore the alerts, active cruise control or lane departure technology could be deployed to gently guide the vehicle. The information could also be sent over a wireless network to a control centre to take further action.

Professor Tilak Dias and Mr William Hurley of the university’s Advanced Textile Research Group will collaborate with semiconductor company Plessey on the study.

The experiment marks the first time Plessey’s Electric Potential Integrated Circuit (EPIC) sensors could be used to extract electrophysiology signals in an automotive environment without direct contact with the body.

Professor Dias said: “Plessey has already demonstrated that cardiac signals can be measured unobtrusively using capacitive sensors mounted within the driver’s seat; the requirement now is to improve the consistency and reliability of the data so it can be used for the intended purpose.

“This requires a novel approach to the design of the electrodes and Nottingham Trent University’s knitted conductive textile technology offers the potential to produce robust electrodes that can be easily incorporated into automotive seats.”

Should the study prove successful, the team is aiming to develop the seats initially for lorry drivers, before expanding into the luxury car market. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH