RE: Byton28 Aug 2019 08:14
Occupant health monitoring
Major players are looking for intellectual property (IP) from major vendors and startups alike. The growing usage of open source software, coupled with increasing numbers of alliances, makes it important to look at the sources of all relevant technology. “This is an area that’s growing rapidly,” observed Vang. “We’re looking at a variety of companies from large to small. We need to look at the company’s IP portfolio, which is important in any fast-moving field. We want to make sure IP elements are not held by another company.”
Though facial recognition can be handled by most DMS cameras, high-end users may want more accuracy. In low lighting conditions or when the driver’s face is partially covered, conventional cameras may have trouble comparing new images with faces in the system. Infrared cameras can be added to improve accuracy.
“Standard RGB cameras have some limitations in low light, and large sunglasses can reduce the effectiveness of facial recognition,” Edwards explained. “For many of the corner cases, people can be identified with an optional monochromatic camera that can see through sunglasses. For base systems, we leverage the RGB camera as much as possible.”
To help justify the cost of DMS and biometric systems, developers are looking at additional tasks that can be handled by the systems. In fully autonomous (L4) vehicles such as robotaxis, cameras make video conferencing possible. In the nearer term, many suppliers are looking at ways to monitor the driver’s health conditions. Cameras can also prevent drivers from leaving kids or pets in cars.
“We are seeing the need or desire to monitor occupants of vehicles, not only for access or starting the vehicle, but also as a supplement to health monitoring,” said Zachary Bolton, head of systems and technology r&d for Continental’s Interior division. He noted that a vehicle could potentially notify a driver of an increased heart rate or spike in blood pressure that is concerning. Further integration of monitoring in automated driving systems will enable greater capability “to do more while we are in these vehicles,” he said.
Facial recognition could also be used to let drivers unlock doors. However, this application may not leverage installed cameras. Interior cameras will focus on drivers, while exterior sensors generally take a wide view for 360-degree coverage. Facial recognition is only possible “when you have a clear visual of a face from a camera system,” Bolton said. “Unlocking doors is also possible if the vehicle is equipped with a surround view or rear back-up camera system, but some of these systems do not have the optimum orientation or field of view for facial recognition.”