In-cabin AI: The push to develop smarter, autonomous cars for the future25 Jan 2022 17:18
The ability to monitor both the driver and passengers in a car is one of growing importance, with the in-cabin AI market expected to reach $503.2 million by 2026[i] and new protocols from the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) requiring advanced occupant status monitoring to detect driver fatigue and distraction to get the agencies five-star rating[ii], something companies are turning to AI to achieve. To many, myself included, the idea of having an AI watching inside your car isn’t all that appealing. Between the privacy concerns and the questionable benefit of many current “AI” assistants, it’s only natural someone would be hesitant to embrace what sounds like the latest fad in smart devices. But look a little closer and you start to see a different picture.
AI offers an unprecedented ability to understand what a human driver is thinking, doing, and feeling which manufacturers are leveraging to make driving safer and more comfortable. This level of understanding was impossible even just 10 years ago, car computer systems simply didn’t have the power to process vision data or run AI algorithms needed to interpret human emotion from facial features and body language, a technology that is only just maturing enough to start commercial testing. In 2019 alone distracted driving accounted for 8.7% of all car crash fatalities, 3,142 people, and about 280,000[iii] injuries in the US alone. With advances in in-cabin AI technology it’s possible to detect drowsiness, distraction, frustration and all manner of other driver impairments and take preventative action. A smart system might offer warnings and alerts, suggest pulling over, offer a less stressful route or show a place a tired driver can get a cup of coffee. In the not too distant future I also envision driver monitoring AI integrating with autonomous driving systems to head off potential tragedies should warnings come too late or prove insufficient, briefly taking over the driving to steer the car out of harm’s way.
https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/thought-leadership/2022/01/24/in-cabin-ai-the-push-to-develop-smarter-autonomous-cars-for-the-future/
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