In-development Seat tech can detect if driver falls asleep

Seat is developing eye-tracking technology that can detect whether a driver is focused on the road or not. Image: courtesy of Seat via AFP Relaxnews

Seat is in the process of developing an artificial intelligence-powered technology for cars that detects if a driver falls asleep and responds accordingly.

To ensure that people driving their vehicles are awake and alert, Seat is working with Eyesight Technologies on an artificially intelligent technology that can analyze a person’s eyes and determine if they are distracted or are falling asleep.

The tech tracks “eye openness, angle of vision, blink rate and head position of the driver, along with other visual attributes” to determine how focused the driver is on the road. If they are drowsy, are looking at their phone or fall asleep, an alert will be triggered.

Eventually, the company intends for the technology to be able to detect pedestrians as well, and then decide if the driver has seen them or not.

Simultaneously in development with this project is another that is in the works with Gauzy, a tech company creating “light control glass,” to develop windows that drivers can darken or lighten depending on their environmental conditions.

At this time, both technologies are still in development, but we will likely be seeing these products or ones very similar make it into Seat models over the next few years after they have been perfected. CL /ra

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