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Transportation

Your Car Will Soon Sense If You're Tired Or Not Paying Attention 178

cartechboy writes "Distracted driving is a large issue, and it's getting worse as we become more entangled with our technology. To help combat this growing problem Volvo is showing off new technology that allows the car to sense when a driver is tired or not paying attention. The system bathes the driver in infrared light that can pick up the driver's position and eye movements. If the driver becomes inattentive or begins to drift off to sleep, it will alert you. Besides the safety aspect of this system, it will also be able to recognize the person sitting behind the wheel, allowing the car to tailor itself to that person's stored preferences. Further, it will be able to adjust the vehicle's exterior lighting in the direction the driver is looking based on the detected eye movement. Volvo's quick to note the system can't photograph the driver. People, the future is coming, and your vehicle is going to be watching you."
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Your Car Will Soon Sense If You're Tired Or Not Paying Attention

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  • Remember kids, Ford owns Volvo (and Jaguar, and some others). So, when you hear "don't worry it won't photograph you", just keep that in mind.

    • Wrong (Score:5, Informative)

      by damn_registrars ( 1103043 ) <damn.registrars@gmail.com> on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @04:08PM (#46527769) Homepage Journal

      Remember kids, Ford owns Volvo (and Jaguar, and some others)

      That was true about a decade ago. Ford sold Volvo to a Chinese company is 2010 [wikipedia.org] and sold Jaguar to an Indian company in 2008 [wikipedia.org].

      So, when you hear "don't worry it won't photograph you", just keep that in mind.

      Keep what in mind, then? That they used to own Volvo and Jaguar? I'm not sure how that is relevant.

      • by rnturn ( 11092 )

        ``Keep what in mind, then? That they used to own Volvo and Jaguar? I'm not sure how that is relevant.''

        Wasn't it a Ford exec that admitted that their autos' sensors knew when drivers exceeded the speed limit?

        (Though I'd guess they meant every time someone drives faster than 55MPH. An outdated limit now, at least in Illinois, as we have 70MPH speed limits away from populous areas.)

        • Of course th car has that info. The in dash GPS usually had speed limit info these days, just to display the maximum speed for the road you are on. Assuming the GPS is on (it may be impossible to turn it off) it knows when you are speeding. That doesn't mean they should collect that data, let alone upload it to their servers. If thy do store that data it can and will be "requested" by the government. It may be that someone at Ford who decided that is too stupid to understand that.

    • by Nethead ( 1563 )

      Neeerrrrrt! That is incorrect. The correct answer is, "Who is Greely of China."

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V... [wikipedia.org]

      Ford sold the Volvo Car Corporation in 2010 to Geely Automobile of China for $1.8 billion, following on from their sale of Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 and Aston Martin in 2007.

      • by ackthpt ( 218170 )

        Neeerrrrrt! That is incorrect. The correct answer is, "Who is Greely of China."

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V... [wikipedia.org]

        Ford sold the Volvo Car Corporation in 2010 to Geely Automobile of China for $1.8 billion, following on from their sale of Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 and Aston Martin in 2007.

        Greely was an newspaper editor, who advised people to drive west on Rout 66 (or something like that.)

        With this innovation, the car can get it's kicks, too.

        • by gtall ( 79522 )

          No, he was a Catholic priest, Andrew Greely, wrote several novels and was in general, a thorn in the backside of the Catholic church. I only recall one bit from one of his novels, it was something sci fi and the gist was G-d was should have aimed a lightning bolt at a cluster of bishops.

    • by icebike ( 68054 )

      Ford does not own Jaguar.

  • Infrared Blind (Score:5, Insightful)

    by qpqp ( 1969898 ) on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @04:01PM (#46527695)

    The system bathes the driver in infrared light

    Anyone else feels like this is going to be a strain on our eyes?

    • by Khoa ( 935586 )
      According to the Indian journal of ophthalmology: IR radiation can lead to cataracts... "The protein of eye lens is very sensitive to IR radiation which is hazardous and may lead to cataract." Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm... [nih.gov]
  • I'll bet it works as well as automatic headlights and automatic windshield wipers. Hell, even gas tank level sensors still suck. Engineers may design something that works, but by the time it makes it into a production vehicle it's been hacked up and cheapened and built out of flimsy plastic components to the point of being useless.

    • Re:Car Sensors Suck (Score:5, Interesting)

      by CanHasDIY ( 1672858 ) on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @04:26PM (#46527943) Homepage Journal

      "Automotive engineers are so smart, they're stupid" - almost every mechanic I've ever met

      • Engineers are like programmers. Their inclination to "do it right" is direct proportional to them being subjected to using their creation. Be honest, people, if you know you'll never ever have to use the piece of junk you create, how much effort will you put into it past what's necessary to get it to specs, even if you KNOW that the specs don't address something critical that will bite the user in the behind?

        • Engineers are like programmers. Their inclination to "do it right" is direct proportional to them being subjected to using their creation. Be honest, people, if you know you'll never ever have to use the piece of junk you create, how much effort will you put into it past what's necessary to get it to specs, even if you KNOW that the specs don't address something critical that will bite the user in the behind?

          That is precisely why I think all automotive engineers should have to be ASE certified mechanics first - maybe then they'll think twice about doing stupid shit like putting the goddamn fuel filter behind the brake booster.

          Seriously, changing a fuel filter should not be a 2 hour job...

        • by tsqr ( 808554 )

          Be honest, people, if you know you'll never ever have to use the piece of junk you create, how much effort will you put into it past what's necessary to get it to specs, even if you KNOW that the specs don't address something critical that will bite the user in the behind?

          You might get by with that if you write apps for smartphones, but not if you're doing anything serious. If one of my co-workers displayed that attitude I'd do my best to get their ass fired, but my boss would probably beat me to it. Most people will never "have to use" the flight control and target tracking software they write for a missile.

          • There are certain exception to that rule. Mostly where a blunder isn't just "oh well, we'll patch it when we get around to it" but rather "they want HOW MANY millions in damages?"

      • that they do and the more they shove in when something is wrong with the car its just more crap to dig threw.
    • by icebike ( 68054 )

      My automatic headlights and automatic wipers work perfectly. As does my auto high-beam.
      So does my collision avoidance braking system,
      blind spot monitoring,
      traction control system,
      rear cross-traffic detection,
      adaptive cruise control,
      parking assist radars,
      keyless entry, keyless starting,
      remote start, etc.

      What do you have against safety and convenience features?
      Why do they all have to be made of metal and weigh a ton, instead of never-rusting plastic?

      Take a look at this chart [transporta...morrow.com] and tell me which part of the past

  • Wake me up when my vehicles can drive themselves.

    • Actually, if your vehicles are driving themselves, you have less reason to be awake.

      • by ackthpt ( 218170 )

        Actually, if your vehicles are driving themselves, you have less reason to be awake.

        Less time focused on the road means more time to read Tech Bulletins! Yes!!!

        warning: your car may swerve out of control without warning...

    • by icebike ( 68054 )

      Why in the name of blissful sleep would you want to be awoken then?

    • Well, technically, while you are sleeping your vehicle is driving itself... not necessarily where you want it to, but while you're sleeping, you're not the driver. You're a passenger. No matter what seat you're in.

  • They're not going to collect it
    They won't be sending out signals to the police
    They won't be sending out data to your insurance companies
    They won't be collecting data for accident coverage
    They won't be storing the data and combining it in other databases (ohh you just went to the gym? You just came back from your mistress's place and were tired?)
    They won't be selling it to your health insurance provider (xx was driving tired for extended periods of time, must have some disease, drop coverage immediately)
    Sorr

    • by mjwx ( 966435 )

      Sorry, there's too many reasons why not to get it and very little reason to get it.

      I'm normally against technologies that are designed to make the driver dumber (lane assist, brake assist, parking assist) but in this case, I'm for it. Falling asleep at the wheel is dangerous. I once fell asleep behind the wheel, I managed to turn around two corners (and I drive a manual) before I woke up. I'm not sure if I was actually asleep but I cant remember how I got from street A to street B. Scared the living crap out of me and I stopped for a break as soon as I could find a park. Fatigue is the th

  • Considering that my 1998 Volvo V70 wagon (versatile) should last me another 20 years, and I'll be 73 then, this will come in handy when I'm ready to buy again. And if that dies, I still have my 2001 S60 to putz around in.

  • Wives and girlfriends been making use of this technology for millennia.

  • Being that I'm not a completely narcissistic imbecile, paying attention while driving is not an issue I have; hell, sometimes it feels like I'm the only one on the road who actually understands that the task of operating 2 tons of steel and rubber at high speeds should be the driver's primary focus. Not to say that I haven't fucked up, but I at least bothered to learn from my mistakes. Plus, I'm not so stupid/selfish/what-have-you that I would ignore fatigue and risk the lives of everyone around me by not p

    • by Lumpy ( 12016 )

      That is what I want. Active dashboard that highlights other cars with information.

      Grand Am in the left lane 5 cars ahead, "Erratic Asshole tailgaiting at 80mph"
      Prius ahead of you, " Hipster doing 67.2 and listening to Beck"

      • That is what I want. Active dashboard that highlights other cars with information.

        That would be useful, and bitchin.

        Maybe instead of focusing on systems that make shitty drivers less dangerous, we should be focusing on systems that make people less shitty drivers.

        • by Lumpy ( 12016 )

          " focusing on systems that make people less shitty drivers."

          That is easy. Automated cameras in cars that take photos with telemetry data and send to the police for automatic fines.

          For example, punk kid cutting in a line, will he do it in front of the big 7 foot tall musclebound wrestler? will he do it in front of the guy with a pistol on his hip? or will he pick the little guy that looks defenseless?

          If there were consequences do driving like a complete dooshbag people would not do it. camera in back

          • " focusing on systems that make people less shitty drivers."

            That is easy. Automated cameras in cars that take photos with telemetry data and send to the police for automatic fines.

            Fines and "automated cameras" do not make people better drivers, evidenced by the fact that shitty drivers still exist. It just makes it easier for the government to turn shitty driving into a revenue stream and thus, give the government a disincentive to do anything about the problem.

            If there were consequences do driving like a complete dooshbag people would not do it

            Except, there are already consequences, and people still drive like shit.

            I was thinking of something more along the lines of, you know, proper training. Criminal how most states give out licenses to operate heavy weapons after

            • by Lumpy ( 12016 )

              Make it harder to get and keep a drivers license would work, required training and retesting every few years. but the AARP will never allow that.

              • Make it harder to get and keep a drivers license would work, required training and retesting every few years. but the AARP will never allow that.

                And once again, blind, unbending worship of capitalism complicates the holy living shit out of something that isn't really all that complicated.

                'Murica!

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you, for no longer linking to greencarreports.com in every single item you post.

    That has to be one of the worst, fallacious "news" sites I've ever seen.

    • by PRMan ( 959735 )
      Mine too.
    • The method is new. Most (all?) current systems use the lane departure warning system and steering wheel input to determine if the driver is drowsy, but they do not put a camera on the driver themselves. The current system on my Ford doesn't seem to work very well.

  • by FuzzNugget ( 2840687 ) on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @04:42PM (#46528085)

    Why does everyone think that everything can be solved with technology? Oh, right, it's easier to sell than telling everyone they mostly suck at something and that they need to get better at it than, "here's a magic $product that will fix all your problems."

    The problem is not technology, the problem is not our gadgets,; the problem is our collective attitude about driving and (lack of) training. Requirements to obtain (and retain) a driver's license in some countries would be shocking to most people in North America. Our standards are pathetic and woefully inadequate. Oh, you can follow some basic instructions that a chimp could do for 15 minutes? Here, now you can drive anything outside of a big rig, motorcycle or bus (unless it's an RV, because apparently, having fewer passengers magically turns it into an agile sports sedan... or something), including hauling your big-ass 5th wheel.

    That shit doesn't fly in places where driving is taken seriously. Just Google "driving license in [European country]" and wait for your jaw to drop.

    If we actually trained people to have vehicular and situational awareness, they would realize that it's a bad idea to be dicking around with their gizmos while operating a multi-ton projectile around hundreds of other multi-ton projectiles, pedestrians, cyclists and municipal structures... and we wouldn't be trying to develop bullshit tech like this or legislating laws ripe for abuse.

    That kind of training takes years of practice, not 15 minutes in a mostly controlled situation. But you can't put that in a box and slap on a price sticker.

    • The problem is not technology, the problem is not our gadgets,; the problem is our collective attitude about driving and (lack of) training. Requirements to obtain (and retain) a driver's license in some countries would be shocking to most people in North America. Our standards are pathetic and woefully inadequate. Oh, you can follow some basic instructions that a chimp could do for 15 minutes? Here, now you can drive anything outside of a big rig, motorcycle or bus (unless it's an RV, because apparently, having fewer passengers magically turns it into an agile sports sedan... or something), including hauling your big-ass 5th wheel.

      Ex-father by law is a truck driver and has a fit that no extra training or licensing is required for the RV's, 5th wheels, or such; and one point we do agree on. (USA)

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 ) *

      Even the best drivers make mistakes. It's human nature, unavoidable. Safety devices make sense because we know that no matter how good the training is there will be failures.

      The US does seem particularly bad, which is why for example I can exchange by UK license for Japanese one any time I like but an American has to take a further Japanese test. Even so, we have plenty of accidents due to drivers being distracted or tired.

  • From TFS and TFA:

    The system bathes the driver in infrared light ...

    Yet in both TFA photos, the light is drawn in blue.

  • MY car will not have this feature. Not until hell freezes over and there is no way to own and drive a car without it. A lot, or even maybe all, new cars may have it, but NOT MY car.

  • by Trogre ( 513942 )

    Mine won't. And neither will my next car.

  • Vaseline.
  • Car senses driver texting.

    disengages seat-belt lock, quick slam on the brakes and release, bouncing their face off the steering wheel.

    Dash shows message "Put down the fucking phone and drive, asshole."

  • My 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with the Advanced Technology Group brings adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning and mitigation, and blind-spot monitoring with cross-path detection with "lane assist" that will keep you in your lane and sound a warning and vibrate the wheel.

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