Technology that will allow a car to "perceive" the emotional state is being developed by scientists at the MIT media lab (Affective Computing Group), estimating that a vehicle that can "understand" when its driver is tired or stressed will have the potential to help prevent traffic accidents.
The team behind the program (AutoEmotive) won the Data Driven Hackathon, as it was selected as the winner by a panel of judges from IDEO, MIT and the Volkswagen Group.
"Regardless of the emotional state of drivers, today's cars give the impression of being apathetic and detached. We believe that by installing emotion-sensing technologies in the car we can dramatically improve the driving experience, increasing driver safety," the researchers (Javier Hernandez, Daniel McDuff, Judith Amores, Javier Benavides) state on the project's website.
A car that could sense negative emotions from the driver could help prevent an accident by displaying warnings. Sensors on the steering wheel and door handles could detect electrical signals from the skin, the pressure exerted by the driver (a possible sign of stress), or the sweating of the palms, while a camera on the windshield could analyze facial expressions. At the same time, special sensors would measure (remotely) the heartbeat.
As the researchers point out, depending on the indications it perceives, the car will change its “behavior”, for example by increasing the intensity of the light (if it detects that the driver is experiencing the “tunnel vision” phenomenon) or changing the lighting, temperature and volume of the music inside the vehicle, in order to “calm down” the driver. The car will also be able to make changes to the music and voice of the GPS, so as to respond to the data of the driver’s psychological state (for example, suggesting more “intense” music if it perceives that he is very tired).
Indications of the driver's emotional state could be displayed on the dashboard, while the researchers go even further, suggesting transmitting this data to other drivers, so that driving becomes safer, or even "interactive" color in the car, which would change to "warn" other drivers if they need to be more careful about the specific car, for example by keeping a greater distance.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
