Now, AI-based Device to Alert Drivers When they Doze Off

NEW DELHI: The need to ensure drivers of defence vehicles don’t doze off while on a long drive and meet with a road crash has resulted in inventing an artificial intelligence-based device that can alert the driver with a loud buzzer, if his eyes are closed for more than three seconds. The device can prove to be a boon to prevent a large share of road crashes.

This device, which was developed by one Colonel Kuldeep Yadav of Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) at Secunderabad, has been tested in three army vehicles for three months. Lt General TSA Narayanan, Commandant at MCEME said the trial run has been very successful and this month they handed over one device to the Telangana government for trial on commercial vehicles.
“We have got the IPR for this. We worked on this device to minimise the risk of accidents of our vehicles. The production of this device can be scaled up quickly. The current estimated price would be around Rs 10,000 for a device, but the cost will reduce once there is large scale production,” Narayanan told TOI.

The AI-based Accident Prevention System is a small, economical and rugged device that can be mounted in the driver’s compartment. The system is designed to be adjustable and can be easily mounted on existing cars and trucks. With some design change the size can also be reduced.
The power supply to the device is taken directly from the vehicle battery and can be used for long hours. It is also equipped to alert the vehicle owners through email.

In a study carried out for the road transport ministry in 2019, one-fourth of drivers had admitted that they had fallen asleep behind the wheel while driving and this was more prevalent in the case of truck drivers.

Another study by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on crashes on the 300-km Agra-Lucknow Expressway had also found that exhausted drivers who dozed off at the wheel were responsible for about 40% of such incidents.

Now across the globe there has been more focus on using the AI and technology solutions to prevent crashes.

Source: ToI