Toyota's New Eyelid-Monitoring System Wakes Up Sleepy Drivers
Are you the type who doesn't know when it's time to quit? The kind who will keep driving for 20-odd hours straight stopping only to fill up the car's tank and ... well ... empty yours? If so, you're a danger to yourself and those around you. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 100,000 reported crashes a year are due to drowsiness, resulting in 1,550 deaths. Luckily, some help is on the way from Toyota, which is coming up with a new, more advanced way to prevent driver sleep with a system that will act like an alarm clock if you close your eyes.
Toyota already has a so-called "Driver Monitoring System" in its latest Lexus LS models. The system uses a camera on the steering column to detect if you are paying attention. If it detects that you're not paying attention, the current system will emit an alarm and even hit the brakes automatically when proximity sensors in the car think an impact is likely.
This latest enhancement will take that system a step further by actually detecting whether or not your eyes are open. If those eyelids start to get droopy, an alarm will sound, and, again, the system will jump in and attempt to decelerate the car automatically. Toyota expects to be installing this in cars in the next couple of years.
Now if only the system would automatically dispense Red Bull (or your energy drink of choice), or maybe just take over the driving entirely and let you curl up in the back seat. That, at least, is still a several years down the road.
From Crave
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
dscottnmel said 7:46AM on 1-26-2008
how does it take into account the size and shape of a particular individual's eyes?
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Travis said 8:26AM on 1-26-2008
Welcome to the police state...
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BellaBellaB3 said 8:54AM on 1-26-2008
I don't know how it would be able to determine when to hit the brakes, another car might hit it in the back end. However, I applaud every little effort of auto improvement where safer driving is the focus. At least this shows that innovators are trying. I fantasize about cars, one day, as being far advanced beyond our current imagination, where driving will be much safer. That is one of my dreams, but I'm not a mechanic nor scientist, so I'm leaving it up to those brilliant innovators out there and keeping my fingers crossed that they will keep working on it.
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brady turley said 9:45AM on 1-26-2008
Never let cars drive themselves. That would defeat the purpose of a car. We should just go to mass transit if that was the case. When cars start to drive themseleves, look for the AAAA, I will be incharge of it.
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Milady said 9:55AM on 1-26-2008
What about Savester Stalone types? Huh?
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Milady said 9:56AM on 1-26-2008
What about Sly Stone? I mean ALWAYS looks Sleepy. What then? HUHHH?
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Milady said 9:59AM on 1-26-2008
What next a Tazer to the Crotch? Or maybe a Bean Bag slammed into your forehead..yeaaa thats the ticket!
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deehorne said 10:02AM on 1-26-2008
i pirchased a nifty little gaget in the dollar store that looks like a bluetooth devise you wear on your ear. When your head bobs to fall asleep a alarm goes off in your ear..........cost $1.......and it works great!!!
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al said 10:26AM on 1-26-2008
Watch out. Big brother will be watching you!
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Em said 10:31AM on 1-26-2008
If you can't stay awake - don't drive, simple as that.
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babycakes said 10:49AM on 1-26-2008
That's just CREEPY!!! A camera in your car looking at you??!! It doesn't say that you set it for each persons specifics - what about Asian people?
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Jackie Butler said 11:03AM on 1-26-2008
What about when you turn that corner and suddenly the sun is in your eyes,or you're yawning or sneezing?!All these things cause one to squint! The alarm part sounds great but to suddenly break?! No way am I buying a car that does that!
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sturgishoops said 11:09AM on 1-26-2008
WHAT ABOUT ASIANS?!!!
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Eleanor Pryor said 11:23AM on 1-26-2008
deehome, did you purchase this gadget in The Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar etc? I am interested in knowing what this gadget looks like so that I may get one. Thanks
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nightowl said 11:23AM on 1-26-2008
How about a "fist" that nails you up-side the head if you're on a cell phone?
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Vahn said 12:00PM on 1-26-2008
Nightowl,I agree 100%.Thats too funny.
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Vivi said 12:06PM on 1-26-2008
Another simple solution: Take the bus or a taxi.
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Kayla said 12:11PM on 1-26-2008
Well it may and may not be a good idea. Hitting the brakes is really NOT good. However the alarm is a good one to help revive you. But the brake thing is just asking for an accident I would think. But who am I just a female!!!
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Richard said 12:59PM on 1-26-2008
Asians? Sylvester Stallone? My God are some of you people stupid. Police State? Big Brother? Its called a safety feature you morons, its not broadcasting your face somewhere. Newer cars and trucks, every single one of them, already have black boxes to record data and if you have gps, onstar or satellite radio you can be pinpointed as well...even if its NOT activated.
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jane said 1:05PM on 1-26-2008
While not a bad idea in theory, it sounds kind of dangerous if you think about a sudden alarm while driving, especially when you take into account that if you blink too long or squint or do anything that makes the "computer" THINK you may be falling asleep will sound off a sudden noise. Sudden surprises are not good when you are trying to control a piece of machinery that could kill someone if veered off the path even a little bit. Not to mention if a person has this it will only encourage them to drive while tired, rather than possibly stopping for the night or taking a break. It seems like auto makers are trying to make money off of something that is simple common sense because they know people will want to buy the freedom to be able to drive whenever they want and the car will take care of all the safety issues for them, likely just causing more accidents than are avoided. I see nothing but law suits and more tired drivers if something like this is in our future. Unfortunately, common sense can't be bought at any price.
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