The Future of Driving: Steering Wheels That Read Your Mind (Almost)

Contributor - Vinay Rao
April 18, 2024
10 min read

The open road beckons, but the journey itself can be fraught with peril. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) factors that cause car accidents into: drunk driving, distracted driving, drowsy driving, unbelted passengers, speeding, and drugged driving. Intriguingly, with the exception of seat belt use and speeding, all these factors hinge on a driver’s physiological state. This has fueled a surge in research on Driver Status Monitoring (DSM) systems under a broader smart car technology.

Now also imagine your car that recognizes you the moment you grip the steering wheel. No more fumbling for keys or fiddling with presets. The seat adjusts to your preference, your favourite channel emanates from the speakers, and the navigation system displays your most frequent destination. This isn’t science fiction; together these represent a novel approach to car safety, security and personalization.

Target Users

The desire for a seamless, personalised and safe car experience is a growing trend. Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that prioritise technological innovation, and many are willing to share personal data to unlock features like customization, safety, security, and even savings. A recent report highlights this, with a staggering 60% of people surveyed expressing openness to sharing biometric information or even DNA samples in exchange for enhanced security within their car.

Major car manufacturers are already taking note. Ford, for instance, for security, has a patent for a system that utilises smartphones for car access and biometric identification (retinal scans, fingerprints, voice or facial recognition). This technology could prove particularly useful in car-sharing services, eliminating the need for physical keys and streamlining the driver swapping process. Additionally, it could be used to implement driver-based restrictions, such as limiting speed for young drivers or setting specific driving time windows.

Even smaller car companies are getting in on the act! They're developing systems that use sensors to read a driver's physiological state, like their heart activity, to ensure they're alert and fit to drive. 60% are willing to share biometric data like fingerprints or even DNA to get these features. This could be a game-changer for safety, especially for long journeys or rideshare drivers who work long hours.

For DSM, systems leverage a driver’s physiological signals, like those measured through photoplethysmography (PPG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electroencephalography (EEG), to assess their state of alertness and fitness behind the wheel. ECG, in particular, offers a more stable and convenient way to monitor a driver’s physiological state compared to PPG and EEG. This advantage hasn’t gone unnoticed by major car manufacturers like BMW, Toyota, and Daimler AG, who are all actively developing DSM systems based on ECG readings.

Current DSM systems employ various strategies to capture ECG signals. Some manufacturers, like BMW, favour dry electrodes made of metal or created through an electroless plating process, which are directly attached to the steering wheel for optimal signal detection stability. In a different approach, BMW has proposed a system that measures a driver’s skin resistance regardless of hand placement on the wheel. This is achieved by wrapping the steering wheel with a conductive strip electrode. They say this method can obtain reliable measurements around 81% of the time, compared to a lower 44% success rate for point-type sensors like PPG.

Toyota, in collaboration with Denso, has tackled the challenge of signal noise reduction in driving environments within their ECG measuring system. Their approach involves attaching a pair of robust, chrome-coated metal electrodes to both the left and right sides of the steering wheel.

Denso has explored a non-contact system that utilises capacitive sensing between the driver’s body and sensor heads embedded in the driver’s seat backrest. Their research suggests that combining contact and non-contact approaches within a DSM system can significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio of ECG signals during vehicle use.

Mercedes-Benz Group AG, then Daimler AG, entered the fray with a system that utilises brass electrodes (metal-type dry electrodes) mounted on the steering wheel to capture a driver’s ECG signals. Their innovation lies in the application of an electrodermal activity (EDA) circuit within the signal-conditioning stage. This addition aims to enhance the dynamic range of the electrode and bolster the stability of ECG.

Car companies are racing to measure driver health (heart rate) for safety and personalization. They're embedding sensors in steering wheels (Toyota, Mercedes) and seats (Denso) to track this data, even considering contactless methods.

The research into DSM systems paints a fascinating picture of the future of car technology. It has the potential to revolutionise car safety, personalization, and driver well-being. This glimpse into the world of car-to-driver biofeedback promises a future where our vehicles not only respond to our commands, but anticipate our needs and ensure a safer, smoother journey for all.

System Overview

The core function of the system is to monitor your physiological parameters while you drive, extracting data relevant to both your identity and your health state. This system consists of both hardware and software components. The hardware addresses two main tasks: acquiring and filtering the ECG signal, and processing and classifying the data.

One of the biggest challenges is in integrating physiological data acquisition into the steering wheel itself. While this approach yields a lower signal-to-noise ratio compared to conventional (wearable) methods, it offers the significant advantage of seamless integration without altering the driver’s usual behaviour.

The Steering Wheel is a complex product that must be structurally sound, maximise stability, and minimise felt vibrations during driving. The diameter, shape, and material of the Wheel play a crucial role in the experience of driving. Steering Wheels are typically manufactured in a series of specialised steps, starting from a metal core with integral skin and foam moulded over it. This is followed by assembly of sub-systems such as electronic control buttons and airbag module, and quality control and inspection process. Currently the wheel production process has no capability to include insert moulding electrodes with cables run through. However, including these as an independent sub-assembly in the 9-3 position is not a major problem.

Another hurdle is the dynamic nature of driving, where drivers may have their hands off the wheel (like when changing gears or turning). Standard signal processing algorithms, designed for stationary clinical settings, wouldn’t be suitable for this environment. Custom circuits and software are necessary, specifically tailored for noisy signals, including to discard any anomalous heartbeats, and segment the signal into individual heartbeats and estimate the heart rate and heart rate variability.

Steering wheel sensors for in-car health monitoring are great (no behavior change) but tough to make (complex manufacturing) and require special software for handling hand movement (accurate data).

Demonstrations

A few real-world integration of sensing ECG and GSR have been conducted by various firms and institutions. In particular, researchers have looked at ways to gauge driver stress, and how it differs between manual and autonomous driving. And how the system itself would measure a driver’s physiological parameters while navigating different driving scenarios. Two key system level measurements are,

Typical findings

Skin Conductance: When people were manually driving, their skin conductance levels spiked more frequently during a challenge compared to the autonomous driving scenario. Interestingly, though, the peaks in the autonomous driving scenario tended to be higher, even if they were less frequent. The researchers suggest this might be because manual driving requires more constant attention, whereas the autonomous car might induce a brief moment of "fear" during the challenges.
Heart Rate: As expected, heart rates were generally higher during manual driving compared to autonomous driving. This adds another layer of evidence that people felt more stressed when they were in control.
Straight Lane: The system achieved a higher Detection Rate (D) and Accuracy (A).
Speed Bumps: D remained high, but Accuracy (A) drops while driving over the bumps.
Lane Changes: Similar to the speed bumps, D stays good, while Accuracy (A) drops a bit during lane changes.
The researchers also observed that if the driver's hands made loose contact with the steering wheel, the Accuracy (A) would drop momentarily. This highlights the importance of proper hand placement for optimal measurement and system performance.
Drowsiness Detection: They compared ECG signals measured when the driver was well-rested and alert (normal), versus when they were feeling drowsy. The ECG signal showed a decrease compared to the normal state. This shows promise as a tool for detecting drowsiness behind the wheel.

Integration with Telematics

Telematics is a method of monitoring cars, trucks, equipment, and other assets by using GPS technology and on-board diagnostics (OBD) to plot an asset’s movements on a computerised map. However, in recent years, it has also developed into a powerful tool that organisations use to reduce risks to fleet drivers and decrease the overall number of vehicular accidents.

As we move forward, we expect new telematics applications and integrations with other types of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, from air quality monitoring to analysing anonymised driver health data. The use of such systems may also lead to better compliance with regulations that apply to ground transportation industry. For example, a system can help enforce the maximum hours of, or breaks from, continuous driving based on driver physiological condition.

Telematics is the key for organisations to achieve their goal of improving safety for their commercial drivers near and far, playing a crucial role in improving driver safety and reducing the number of vehicle accidents through real-time monitoring.

Telematics uses GPS and sensors to track vehicles and improve driver safety. It can monitor things like location, harsh driving, and even (in the future) driver health. This helps reduce accidents and lets companies comply with regulations like maximum driving hours.

The Future of the Steering Wheel: Partnering for Innovation

The potential for the steering wheel as a platform for driver well-being and safety is undeniable. Here at Bang Design, we believe collaboration is key to unlocking this potential. That’s why we’re excited to continue our long term association and collaboration with Monitra Upbeat (hospital-grade ECG), Terrablue Xaant (stress measurement and training), and Innominds (telematics) to develop the next generation of smart healthcare and communication solutions for the automotive industry. Together, we’re poised to develop and integrate next-generation steering wheel sensor technologies.

We invite you to join us!

Are you an Automotive brand or Technology System integrator?

Looking to push the boundaries of driver experience: car safety, security, driver personalization and well-being. By working together, we can turn innovative ideas into tangible solutions that revolutionise the way we drive. Let’s explore the possibilities. Contact us today to discuss how we can collaborate and bring your driver-centric vision to life.

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