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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.