The monitor checks drivers’ facial images for distracted and drowsy driving, and voices an alert...

The monitor checks drivers’ facial images for distracted and drowsy driving, and voices an alert if necessary.

Photo courtesy of Denso Corp.

Denso released a retrofittable driver status monitor to help reduce the number of traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles, including work trucks. The safety product checks for distractions, drowsiness, sleep, and inappropriate posture based on the driver's facial image, which is captured through a camera installed in the cabin. If drowsy or distracted driving is detected, the monitor voices an alert.

Large commercial vehicles can cause serious damage in an accident, and many trucks and buses do not have the latest safety devices installed because they've been in use for so many years. The driver status monitor is retrofittable to existing vehicles on the road, and can accelerate the introduction of safety devices to large commercial vehicles.

A driver's condition is detected by the product and recorded on a SD card. An operation manager and the driver can review the driving status, including the number of voiced alerts, and an image of the driver when the alert was triggered. This feature offers additional guidance for safe driving. The driver's condition can also be notified to the operation manager in real-time, making it possible to caution the driver and take quick action in the event of an emergency. In addition, the monitor can be linked with a new telematics device for commercial vehicles released by DENSO this summer and a cloud-based digital tachograph manufactured by Fujitsu Limited.

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