Plessey develops sensor-based method to monitor driver fatigue

Date
10/29/2012

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Exhibiting at Electronica Hall A4 Stand136, November 13-16

Click image to enlarge: EPIC sensors utilise capacitive coupling to measure ECG through normal clothing and seat cover fabric.

Plessey has developed a novel method to monitor driver fatigue based on its multi-award winning EPIC (electric-potential integrated circuit) sensor technology. According to the British Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, research shows that driver fatigue may be a contributory factor in up to 20% of road accidents and up to a quarter of fatal and serious accidents. Car manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to make their vehicles safer especially as safety can be a strong selling point. Until recently, measuring ECG in a car meant the driver having a set of electrodes attached to his or her bare chest using gel. However, because the EPIC sensor utilises capacitive coupling, it doesn't rely on good skin contact and can measure ECG through normal clothing and seat cover fabric. By monitoring a parameter called HRV (heart rate variability—a measure of how stable the heart rate is from beat to beat—it is possible to tell when the driver is starting to become sleepy. Plessey recommend an array of sensors built into the seat back, so that the monitoring system can choose an optimal sensing location, regardless of the driver's height and build. Placing the sensors away from the shoulders on the lower part of the seat back minimizes movement noise. The system uses a capacitive driven ground plane, which automakers can also place under the seat cover fabric on the base of the seat, to produce a completely hidden system. Further noise reduction is achievable by coupling this driven ground to the steering wheel. The system has been shown to be immune to electrical noise sources within the car. Plessey now has available evaluation kits for car manufacturers and suppliers. This takes the form of a seat pad containing a six-sensor array on the seat back and a ground plane on the base. The demonstration kit also includes an interface box with a USB output to the display and recording software. Plessey's own tests detected more than 95% of heart beat peaks during a ten-minute trial over a variety of driving conditions. Plessey EPIC deeplink Power Systems Design technical feature: Non-contact driver's ECG monitoring system

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