3-DS

Drowsy Driving Detection System

Delphi Automotive

Rebecca Hazy
Betsy Miller
Wendy Zeng

EDesign 100H
19 December 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The objective of this project is to develop a system to detect and wake fatigued
drivers. It is a response to a solicitation from Delphi Automotive to make cars safer. The
prototype is expected to effectively detect a driver falling asleep, alert and wake them
up, keep them awake, and suggest safe alternative options for what they should do next
if they continue to fall asleep. A Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera with facial
recognition algorithms uses active-IR infrared sensors to detect when a driver is falling
asleep. The drivers seat is then triggered to vibrate, mimicking rumble strips on the
road. Different stages of detection are partnered with different methods of alerting and
keeping the driver awake. Beeping alert signals previously integrated into the system of
the car are used, and other existing technology such as global positioning systems (GPS)
and dashboard icon displays are incorporated as well. The additional cost of the system
to a new vehicle is about $276.00. The final result of the prototype is a system that uses
existing mechanisms in fresh approaches to wake up sleepy drivers and prevent the
consequences of drowsy driving.

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the project is to ultimately reduce fatalities, injuries, and
accidents from vehicles to zero. The design team decided to focus on conquering sleepy
driving. Exhausted driving causes more than 6,000 deaths a year, placing it as the
second leading cause of fatal accidents behind drunk driving but ahead of texting.1
Existing systems that focus on overcoming sleepy driving accidents are broad and do
not attack the problem directly. For example, attempts include variations of crash
avoidance technology. Crash avoidance technology is a term that includes many
categories of car features. Some cars alter the brightness of the headlights at night.
Others have automatic emergency brakes or blind spot detectors. Such features all
contribute the solving the issue of drowsy sleeping. For example, collision warning and
lane departure warning technology are all used when a driver may be sleepy. In 2012,
about sixty-eight different car models include collision warnings, lane departure
warnings, or both. The two features are free for makers such as Mercedes, explaining
that all cars will soon have such a system. Volvo, on the other hand, adds these features
for a cost of about $2,100. Features aiding in drowsy driving help the situation, but do
not attack the problem directly by only focusing on effects of drowsy sleeping. Newer
systems attempt to focus on the causes of the sleepy driving accidents.

BENCHMARKING
CRASH AVOIDANCE TECHNOLOGY
New designs include features that detect the sleeping driver and wake them
directly. Ideas include shooting small whiffs of air on the back of the drivers neck. A
car knows when to implement these features when it detects a change in facial muscles.
Also, the systems track the drivers blinking patterns, and if the eyelids are closed
longer than normal, the system will alert the driver of sleepiness. Such systems are
effective regardless of eye color, shape, size, or whether or not glasses or sunglasses are
being worn3.
To further reduce the risk of collision, some cars will take over the steering for
the sleepy driver and place the car back in the correct lane. The car uses previously
installed blind spot detectors to first know when the car is out of its lane. The car will
recognize if the driver is not supposed to be drifting out of their lane, for example, if the
turn signal is not on3.
VOLVO DRIVERT ALERT SYSTEM
Volvo has a Driver Alert System which sounds an alarm and utilizes an icon on
the dashboard when a driver is detected to be sleepy4. The icon depicts a coffee cup to
signal that the driver needs to wake up. This system is unique due to its automatic
activation. The driver does not have to remember to turn the system on, but an
emergency deactivation button is included.
SAAB DRIVER ATTENTION WARNING SYSTEM
Saab uses a Driver Attention Warning System that uses a voice that will say
aloud to the driver, You are dangerously tired! Stop as soon as it is safe to do so!
Newer technology incorporates a vibrating seatbelt and steering wheel component3.
MERCEDES BENZ DRIVER PROFILE
A Mercedes Benz 2009 model or later uses driver profile technology to get to
know its driver. Every time the driver travels, the car gathers information about
driving traits, duration, and time of day. If the driver is noticed by the system to be
steering different, or going for a long distance at an unusual time of day for the driver,
the car recognizes these differences and alerts the driver5. This technology is useful for
not only recognizing the driver is sleepy, but also for sensing inattentiveness,
distractions, or risky driving.

TOYOTAS PRE-CRASH SAFETY SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

The Pre-Crash Safety system uses related technology to CCTV cameras with
facial recognition algorithms but is utilized for a different purpose. For example, Toyota
cars in Japan are being implemented with a Pre-Crash Safety system. The system is
capable of detecting and recognizing the drivers face regardless of facial features and
ethnicity or if glasses or sunglasses are being worn. The detection sensors are also
functional in the dark, using infrared lights. The sensor is located on top of the steering
column, as depicted in Figure 1, to minimize any vision obstructions from turning the
wheel. The system is sensitive enough to tell if the drivers head is turned, implicating
that the driver is being distracted from the road. It can also determine if the top and
bottom eyelids are closed slightly more than usual, implicating that the driver is falling
asleep. Figure 2 illustrates the way that the eyelids of the driver are measured. The eyedetection system is the first of its kind and is being used for collision safety. The system
also detects outside objects, such as pedestrians, and then scans to see if the driver is
paying attention to the road or the pedestrian. If the car senses that the driver may hit
into the outside object, after considering distance, speed, driver attention, and other
factors, the car will alert the driver. If the driver fails to take notice of the alert, the car
will take control, hit the brakes, and avoid the potential collision6.

Figure 1: Toyotas Pre-Crash Safety system utilizes a camera located on the steering column to monitor
the drivers face for implications that the driver may be falling asleep.

Figure 2: Toyotas Pre-Crash Safety System determines that the driver is falling asleep by calculating
how open/closed the lower and upper eye lids are.

GENERAL MOTORS ATTENTION POWERED CAR

General Motors is on track to mass producing the first car containing an eye
detecting device, the Attention Powered Car. GM plans on utilizing the software to
measure the attentiveness of the driver. If the driver keeps their eyes off the road too
long, or is not looking in the rearview mirror enough, the car will alert the driver. The
idea of an Attention Powered Car for GM was developed and implemented with the
Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia and Emotiv. Currently, the detection
system is being trailed and perfected in the Honda i40. The detection system contains a
headset that will connect to certain areas on the drivers head to receive brainwave data.
When the system senses that the driver is not paying attention, it cuts off acceleration to
the car7. The Attention Powered Cars only intention is to make drivers safer and more
alert on the road.

CCTV CAMERA WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION ALGORITHMS

CCTV cameras implemented with facial recognition algorithms are able to detect
human facial features. Active-IR allows the camera to see in the dark, as illustrated in
Figure 3. It is capable of removing problematic background lighting and has no trouble
distinguishing facial features in any kind of brightness. Active-IR is one of three forms
of thermography. It is the cheapest form yet still effective. Other night-vision cameras
are not capable of such high-resolution pictures or detection. The need to see in the dark
is growing, but the need to distinguish what to see in the dark is more important.
Active-IR is capable of distinguishing images and lights of importance. Active-IR does
this by using its own illuminators which are invisible to the human eye. These
illuminators can see in shadows, dimly lit places, and the dark. The only inconvenience
with these illuminators is that they need to be placed at a proper distance to work
sufficiently. Other bulbs to assist father distances of lighting can be used but are not
necessary for close up views8. Kinect technology established by Microsoft for the
Xbox is an example of an implementation of such technology9.

Figure 3: Standard camera on left; Active-IR camera on right includes features enabling it to see in the
dark.

BRAIN TECH
Brain Tech technology utilizes high-speed eye-tracking and brain recording to identify
when someone is in the early stages of falling asleep. Plans of implementing this
technology into cars to reduce accidents are in progress, but are not nearly finalized.
Brain Tech focuses studies on how the human brain works as the eyes move, as
opposed to staying still when fixed on the road. The process requires numerous sensors
to be attached to the head of the driver to measure brain waves and how they coincide
with certain eye movements. The technology shows promises of being able to perfectly
detect when a person falls asleep10. Currently, scientists are unable to detect which brain
movements are triggered solely by eye movements. If such brain patterns are
pinpointed, the technology can also be used for other purposes. For example, brain
computer interfaces can be created to help aid patients with movement disabilities such
as Lou Gehrigs disease. A brain computer interface is technology barely within reach
that would connect movement with thought. If the user simply thinks about what they
want to accomplish, they can by optimally reading brainwaves without sensors11. Sleep
detecting sensors are currently only track eye movement, and using brain recording
technology simultaneously will help perfect the sensors.

SLEEP WARNING EAR DEVICE

An anti-sleep ear piece can be worn to prevent drivers from falling asleep at the
wheel. As opposed to placing sensors directly into the car, a driver can opt to wear an
ear piece that will sound an alarm when the driver may seem to be falling asleep12. The
only way that the ear piece can decide if the user is falling asleep or not is the angle of
their head. The device is recommended to be set at about fifteen to thirty degrees to
sound an alarm. The angle of sleep detection can be changed and set according to each
user for best use. Various versions of such an ear piece are available for ten to twenty
dollars online. Some brand names of the devices include Doze Alert, NOD-Stopper, No
Nap, and Nap Zapper13.

SIGNS OF DROWSINESS
The most prominent biosignal to detect drowsiness is excessive blinking. Most
drivers are not even aware that they have been dozing off. A test subject purposefully
stayed awake for thirty-two hours and would drive for as long as possible. Blinking
variations in conjunction with brainwaves were monitored. Results show that the driver
dozed off twenty-two times but only recalled falling asleep five times, one of which a
wreck almost occurred1. Studies show that fatigued drivers start to blink more often
and more slowly as sleep-deprivation overcomes their body. There are four stages of

sleep deprivation: awake, reduced vigilance, fatigued, and sleepy. A driver

transitioning from being awake to reduced vigilance, blinks start to occur more
frequently. By transitioning from fatigued to sleepy, blinks start to occur more slowly.
The average awake person blinks about 20.3 times per minute while driving and the
blink lasts about .1 to .4 seconds14, 15. A sleepy driver that is unconsciously dozing off
experiences micro sleep. Blinks during micro sleep last more than .5 seconds and are
timed by the amount of seconds covering the pupil. The PERCLOS device measures the
proportion of time that the eye is closed and the pupil is covered to the time the eye is
open. For a sleepy driver experiencing micro sleep, the eye is considered closed for
about 80% in a 1 min time window16. Another clear sign of sleepiness while driving is
yawning. When a person yawns, a large amount of oxygen is taken in and delivered to
the blood stream. Such a large breathe is needed because when a person is bored or
tired, they tend to take breathes more slowly and not as deeply. The yawn helps get rid
of all the carbon dioxide the short breathes did not manage to exhale, or bring in oxygen
that was not inhaled17. The average yawn lasts about six seconds long with a varying
width18. Yawn width can range from 32 to 77 mm overall, men measuring to about 50-60
mm while women measure to 45-55m 19. Other ways to detect sleepiness are currently
being implemented such as tracking brainwaves in conjunction with eye movements
and blinks.

POWER STEERING
Power steering is an essential part of all vehicles today. Majority of power
steering systems are hydraulic. Electric steering is becoming popular but the hydraulic
system still needs to be understood due to its remaining demand. Hydraulic steering
uses a pump that supplies pressure on the rack and pinion or the steering box. The
pressure makes it easier for the driver to turn the wheel. Generally, a rack and pinion is
used in cars while larger vehicles and trucks utilize a gear box20. Both systems use
hydraulic fluid pressure to turn the piston instead of manpower. The operating system
of how hydraulic power steering is shown in Figure 4. The driver only controls which
direction the wheel will turn. When the steering wheel is neutral, the system is at
equilibrium with equal amounts of pressure on both sides. When the wheel is turned,
fluid is released from a valve putting pressure against the steering gear. The fluid is
drained to be recirculated and reused to keep the pressure on the steering gear. When
the wheel returns back to neutral the fluid valves close and any extra fluid travels down
the drains to be recaptured for future use. The system causes the gear to rotate back to
equilibrium independently without having to turn the wheel21.

Figure 4: These illustrations depict how a power steering system using hydraulic fluid pressure operates
to turn pistons instead of manpower form the driver21.

CONCEPT GENERATION
The process of concept generation began with a focus upon the generic purpose
of addressing safety issues in cars. Ideas were created with brainstorming and
brainwriting, and they were based on personal experience and consideration of aspects
of driving that need attention. Problems ranged from traveling in extreme elements to
escaping vehicles after accidents to avoiding distractions for the driver, and possible
solutions included alterations made to materials, additions of tools for the driver, and
installation of sensors and detection technologies. Specific examples of concepts were a
protectant on the windshield that causes rain and snow to roll off immediately, a small
hammer with scissors to smash a window and cut a seatbelt in the event of a postaccident emergency exit, and a system of sensors that detect eye and body movement to
address drowsy driving and awaken the driver. Eventually, the drowsy driving idea
was selected after a brief, verbal concept screening. The criteria for this were originality,
greatest customer need due to a lack of current solutions, ease of production, cost, and
reality of addressing it. A consensus was reached that drowsy driving posed the
greatest threat upon driver safety, that there was a lack of ways to address it in current
car models, and that there was room for both creativity and practicality in finding a
solution for it. See Appendix A for a full list of descriptions of the other concepts.
After determining the focus and goals, the process of concept generation was
repeated with a concentration upon ideas for detecting signs of the driver falling asleep
and for waking them up immediately. Brainstorming and brainwriting were utilized
once again with imagination, personal experience, and patented ideas from the Internet
as inspiration. Nine concepts were generated for a method of detection, and twelve
concepts were generated for a method of waking. Since ideas in the two categories
could be combined in various ways, there were at least 108 possible concepts. See
Appendix B for a full list of descriptions of the concepts in each separate category.

CONCEPT SCREENING

Steering Tracking

Availability of technology

Ability to work in the dark

Ability to detect drivers of all shapes, sizes, ethnicity

Accuracy/avoidance of false positives

Ability to detect yawning

Ability to detect eyes closing

Ability to detect body movement

Ability to detect slowing heart rate

Ability to detect inattentiveness

Ease of use

Cost

Originality in this application

TOTAL

-1

When the concept screening matrix was completed, the concept of using the
CCTV camera with facial recognition algorithms noticeably surpassed the others. Its
score was five points higher than the next highest. It would be able to detect more signs
of falling asleep than any of the other concepts, which was the most important aspect to
consider for the projects purpose. The technology was well-developed, and although it
had been suggested for this application, there would be room for originality and

Sensors

Sensors

Belt Sensors

Camera

Table 1: Concept Screening Matrix of concepts for detecting drowsy driving. Numbers at the top
correspond with the generated concepts listed in Appendix B.

Seat Weight

Wheel sensors

Full Seat Belt

Adjustable Seat

Recognition

Infrared Camera

Ease of addition to current car model

CCTV Camera +

Metrics

Infrared Beam

Facial Recognition

For concept screening and scoring, the two categories were kept separate. In
order to narrow down the concepts for a method of detection, a concept screening
matrix was created. The baseline concept was the Infrared Beam, and it was selected
since it fell in the middle for most of the metrics being considered. It was able to work
in the dark and detect drivers of varying sizes fairly well. The technology was welldeveloped and generally easy to implement in a car. It also had a relatively low cost,
and it was able to detect the motion of a body in terms of nodding off while falling
asleep. The other concepts could stand above or fall below it in all categories, making it
the best choice for a baseline. The full concept screening matrix can be found in Table 1.

improvement. Additionally, it would be easy to install in a car, and of all the concepts, it
would work the best in the dark and for the widest range of drivers. The CCTV camera
with facial recognition algorithms was thus chosen to be incorporated into all of the
preliminary concepts for the drowsy driving detection mechanism.

CONCEPT SCORING

Weight

Tightening
Seat Belt

Cold Air

Vibrating
Wheel

Vibrating Seat
(Rumble Strips)

Smells

Louder Music

Voice: Call
Someone

Voice: Pull Over

Voice: Word
Problems

Voice + GPS

Warning Sound

Constant
Beeping

In order to narrow down the concepts for waking a sleepy driver, a concept scoring
matrix was used. Concept screening was skipped because without a system of weights for
the criteria, the concepts would have scored equally, making it inconclusive. The concepts
ability to wake the driver up and keep the driver awake were the most crucial for concept
selection, so they were given significantly higher weights than the rest of the qualities. The
weights were 75 and 55, respectively. The ability to work for all types of drivers was the
next most important since improving everyones safety is the priority, but users vary in
size, preference, and ability. It received a weight of 20. Ease of addition to a current car
received the next highest weighting, 15, for Delphis sake, and availability of technology
followed closely with a weight of 10 in the interest of the designers. The last few metrics
were important to consider but not of monumental value to the concepts, so they were
given low, equal weights of 5. These weights added up to 200. Each concept then received a
score from one to ten in each category. The concepts, metrics, weights, and scores are
displayed in Table 2.

Availability of technology

10

Ease of addition to current

car model

15

Ability to work in the

dark

Ability to work for all

types of drivers

20

Ease of use

Ability to wake driver up

75

10

Ability to keep driver

awake

55

Originality of idea

10

10

10

10

10

10

Cost

200

955

1250

885

1230

Metrics

TOTAL

1110 1140 1215

830 1195

1495 1160 1545

Table 2: Concept scoring matrix for waking concepts. The five highest scoring concepts were Vibrating
Seat (Rumble Strips), Voice: Call Someone, Voice: Word Problems, Voice: GPS, and Constant Beeping.

After the scores were given, the weights were accounted for, the sums were
calculated, and the totals were compared to determine which concepts were the best.
The five concepts that scored the highest were Constant Beeping, Voice: GPS, Voice:
Word Problems, Voice: Call Someone, and Vibrating Seat. It was decided that a
combination of the concepts was necessary since each was more effective at either
waking the driver up or keeping the driver awake. A combination ensured that all
requirements were met.
CRITERIA FOR SCORES
-Availability of technology:
Scores of 9 were designated for Cold Air, Louder Music, Voice: GPS, Warning Sound,
and Constant Beeping because these concepts utilize technology that already exists in
the car. They did not receive 10s because the technology is not yet specifically
programmed for this application. The Tightening Seat Belt, Vibrating Wheel, Vibrating
Seat, and voice-related concepts received 7s because they all play off of current car
technology but require additions or alterations. Smells received a 5 because there is no
technology in the current car that emits smells, but smell dispensing technology has
been developed elsewhere, such as on Disneys ride, Soarin.
-Ease of addition to current car model:
The scores for this metric incorporated the cost of programming and installation. For
the concepts that utilize technology already in the car and require minor changes, one
point was subtracted from the score given for availability of technology to account for
the cost of programming. This gave Cold Air, Louder Music, Voice: GPS, Warning
Sound, and Constant Beeping scores of 8, and voice-related concepts scores of 6. For the
other concepts, two points were subtracted to account for the cost of development,
installation, and programming. This gave Tightening Seat Belt, Vibrating Wheel, and
Vibrating Seat scores of 5, and Smells a score of 3.
-Ability to work in the dark:
All of the concepts were able to work in the dark since none of them require vision, so
each was given a score of 5.
-Ability to work for all types of people:
Scores were given based on how well the concepts could work for people of different
sizes, preferences, and circumstances. Tightening Seat Belt and Cold Air received the
lowest scores, 3, because the seatbelt would not necessarily work for extremely small or
extremely large people, and the cold air would not work if the driver was wearing too
many layers or already had the air conditioning blasting. Smells was designated a 5

because everyone has unique scent preferences, and it would be difficult to appeal to
all. Louder Music and Voice: Word Problems received 6s because not everyone listens
to music or enjoys puzzles. Voice: Pull Over was given an 8 because everyone is capable
of pulling over but may not feel comfortable doing so. The last few concepts, Vibrating
Seat, Vibrating Wheel, Voice: GPS, Warning Sound, and Constant Beeping received 9s
because everyone can feel them, hear them, and respond to them.
-Ease of use:
All of the concepts were easy to use for the driver because they were automatic. Each
was given a score of 5.
-Ability to wake driver up:
Concepts that startled the driver were determined to be most effective with the initial
waking, so Vibrating Wheel and Vibrating Seat received the best scores. Vibrating Seat
was given a score of 10 since the vibrations are felt by the drivers entire body, and
Vibrating Wheel was given a score of 9 since the vibrations are felt by the drivers
hands. Tightening Seat Belt, Warning Sound, and Constant Beeping received scores of 8
because they also wake the driver in sudden, albeit more subtle, ways. Cold Air and
Louder Music received scores of 6 because they were also sudden changes, but they are
not as immediately surprising. The voice-related concepts received scores of 5 since a
voice would rouse the driver but not very quickly, and Smells received a 3 since it
would enter the car slowly.
-Ability to keep driver awake:
Concepts that consistently kept a driver awake received the highest scores. An 8 was
given to Constant Beeping since it is an annoying sound that would be hard to fall
asleep to. An 8 was also given to Voice: Call Someone since the driver would be
engaged in conversation, Voice: Word Problems since the driver would be engaged in
thinking, and Voice: GPS since the driver would be engaged in finding a particular
place to stop. A score of 5 was given to Cold Air, Louder Music, and Smells since each
would continue after the initial trigger, but their effect would likely wear off over time.
The rest of the concepts received scores of 1 since they only occurred with the initial
waking of the driver.
-Originality:
Concepts were given a 5 if they have been suggested in this context and a 10 if they
have not.

-Cost:
Scores were designated based on price range. Amounts were calculated based on costs
of the technology, programming, and installation. Table 3 shows the ranges.
Score

Price ($)

10

Free

0-100

100-500

500-1000

1000-2000

2000-3000

3000-4000

4000-5000

5000-6000

6000+

Table 3: Scoring used in Concept Scoring Matrix for price ranges.

Based on the cost analysis later in this report, Vibrating Seat would cost over $5,000,
and Vibrating Wheel would likely cost a similar amount, so each was given a 2.
Tightening Seat Belt was estimated to be the next highest cost with a score of 4 since it
would be a similar amount of effort and technological development as the vibrating
concepts, just not as complex. Smells was given a 7 since current technology is
approximately $35 per aroma generator46, four of which would be used in the car, and
programming would be involved. Voice-related options were also given 7s due to the
programming and time needed to accomplish it, and the potential installation of a new
piece of technology. The rest of the concepts were given 8s since they would only be a
matter of configuring current technologies in the car to perform in specified ways.

PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS
By combining the six winning concepts, preliminary concepts were developed before
the final selection.
1.

CCTV Camera with Facial Recognition Algorithms + Vibrating Seat + Voice:

Word Problems

2.

CCTV Camera with Facial Recognition Algorithms + Vibrating Seat + Voice: Call
Someone

3.

CCTV Camera with Facial Recognition Algorithms + Vibrating Seat + Voice: GPS
+ Constant Beeping

CONCEPT SELECTIONSURVEY
The final concept was ultimately selected from the preliminary concepts based
on the results of a survey. A twenty question survey was created and emailed to a wide
range of people, including students at Penn State, truck drivers at Lawrence P. Rathway
Trucking, Inc., and other community members such as daily commuters and traveling
business people. Ages ranged from 18 to 84 years old, and both genders were wellrepresented. One hundred people were asked to take the survey, and ninety three
responses were received. Questions were asked about their driving habits, experiences
with drowsy driving, and opinions about the role a car should play in preventing
drowsy driving. When asked about the preliminary concepts, 93.26% responded that a
vibrating seat that simulated rumble strips would be helpful if the driver was drowsy.
Only 40.00% believed that word problems would be helpful, and 66.67% believed a
voice suggesting calling someone would be helpful. 91.01% expressed that a GPS
suggesting places to pull over to rest or buy food or coffee would be beneficial, and
89.89% thought a system of constant beeping would be effective, too. Based on these
results, it was decided that the final concept would incorporate a vibrating seat for
waking the driver, constant beeping to keep the driver awake, and suggestions on a
GPS for the driver to pull over and rest, rather than jeopardizing their life by staying on
the road.

CUSTOMER NEEDS
A list of customer needs was developed in order to guide further development of
the final concept. These qualitative needs were selected based on consideration of
different scenarios and the drivers best interest, and they ranged from focusing upon
the CCTV cameras function to the quality of experience for the driver to the
effectiveness of the beeping and rumble strip vibrations. The list was then quantified
into metrics based on background research. All specs were selected to appeal to the
largest customer base possible. See Table 4 for the needs and metrics.

Customer Needs

Metrics

Detect drivers of all sizes

Width of camera range is greater than 480 mm; length of camera

range is approximately 460 mm

Detect drivers of all ethnicities

Detect eyes with vertical lid fissure of 7 mm to 13 mm

Detect drivers under all visual circumstances Detect in darkness with Active IR
Detect yawning

Detect yawn within size range of 32-77 mm for an

approximate duration of 6 seconds

Detect head nodding

Detect head nod of 15 to 30 degrees

Detect drowsy eyes closing

Detect eyes closed for longer than 0.5 seconds; detect eyes
closed for a total of 30 seconds within a minute

Easy to use

Automatic system

Always on

No on/off button

Minor additional cost

Less than $1,000

Not unpleasant to experience

Less than 30 dB of sound for Constant Beeping; no more

than 8 Hz for Vibrating Seat

Creates sense of urgency

750-1500 Hz for Constant Beeping

Aesthetically pleasing

Camera takes up less than a quarter of the A Pillar

Wake driver up

Wake driver in less than 5 seconds

Keep driver awake

Prevent driver from falling asleep again within 30 minutes

Table 4: Customer needs and corresponding metrics.

DELPHIS NEEDS
Although the end users were the primary focus, Delphis needs were also
considered, and a short list was devised based on Delphis project description.
Delphis Needs

Metrics

Reasonable amount of time and effort for

development

Less than 50 hours

Minor cost

Less than $5,000

Safe

Zero future accidents, injuries, and fatalities from drowsy driving

Table 5: Delphis needs and corresponding metrics.

FINAL CONCEPT DESCRIPTION

Figure 5: The red in the picture represents the installation location of the CCTV camera that has
the ability to recognize and analyze faces, as well as the cameras field of view.
The final concept is a drowsy driver alert system consisting of a CCTV camera
with facial recognition algorithms, a vibrating seat, and a GPS. Once the camera
recognizes that the driver is falling asleep, the system will react accordingly to first
wake up the driver, then keep the driver awake, and finally ask them to pull over when
necessary. As shown by Figure 5, the CCTV camera will be installed at an appropriate
height on the A-pillar. This location was chosen to avoid obstructing the drivers view
yet still have the camera at an appropriate height to allow it to analyze the drivers
facial features. Its facial detection abilities will be used to focus on eyelid, mouth and
head-nodding movement. The CCTV camera with facial recognition abilities will be
used to compile information and measurements of a persons head to customize the
system to different drivers that could potentially be using the vehicle. Using the
different measurements that will be entered into the system, the CCTV camera will alert
the system when certain measurements have been reached.
The CCTV camera with facial algorithms will send three types of signals to the
alert system: blink signal, yawn signal, and head nodding signal. What will be taken
into account for the blink signal is the blink frequency and blink duration. A normal
blink of the eye will last from 0.1 to 0.4 seconds and occurs 20.3 plus or minus 1.6 blinks
per minute while driving.37,38 Fatigue results in an increase in blink frequency as well as
blink duration so the CCTV camera will alert the system each time a blink lasts for
longer than 1.5 seconds. When a person is sleepy, their eyes are closed for an average of
80% of a minute so the lower limit of this range was chosen at 50% to be the boundary
at which the system would be alerted for drowsy blinking.39 The yawn signal will be
sent to the alert system by having the facial algorithms study the mouth movement. It

will alert the system each time the width of the mouth reaches 50-60mm for men and
45-55mm for women and lasts for at least 3 seconds.40,41 This range would be narrowed
once Kinect collects information about the driver over time. The last signal that needs to
be taken into account for a sleepy driver is the head nodding signal. Each time the head
bends at a 15 to 30 degree angle, the CCTV camera will send a signal to the system.42
There are triggers that will be taken into consideration and if three triggers
occur within one half of an hour, then the alert system will react accordingly as
described below. A blink signal alone, or a blink signal with any combination of
yawning signals or head nodding signals can activate the first, second or third trigger.
A head nodding signal alone cannot activate the triggers because the action is usually
accompanied by drowsy blinking which is already taken account into the system. A
yawning signal alone cannot actually activate any of the triggers because the driver and
his passengers are not actually in danger because the line of sight has not been
disrupted. Each time a trigger is activated, a blinking red symbol would appear on the
dashboard to let the driver know that they are in danger getting into an accident
because of drowsy driving.
The following three triggers described will occur in succession of each other. To
activate the third trigger, it must occur within a half hour of activating the first trigger.
If the first trigger is activated, the rumble strip simulation will be programmed to wake
you up. The rumble strip simulation will consist of three consecutive one second
vibrations separated by one second breaks. The second trigger will also cause the
rumble strip simulation to occur as well. After the three vibrations, a pre-recorded
message will warn the driver, You seem too tired to drive. If you do not stay awake,
you will be asked to pull over. Activation of the third trigger is also accompanied with
a rumble strip simulation as well as a pre-recorded message that will say, You are too
tired to drive. Please pull over to one of these following locations. The GPS will
automatically be turned on to search for the closest rest stops and gas stations for the
driver to pull over. Also, after the message is said aloud, the sound system of the car
will be alerted to start beeping. For the first minute after the third trigger is activated, a
beep will occur every six seconds, and then it will occur every three seconds for the
second minute. After the second minute of beeping is over, a beep will occur every
second and continue until the driver pulls over somewhere and restarts the car which
will reactivate the system to start all over.
Every time the system activates the rumble strip simulation in the drivers seat,
power steering will be activated to reduce the risk of jerking the wheel and causing an
accident because the shaking of the seat is what actually wakes the driver up and has
the potential to startle him. This electronic power steering will be programmed to make
the wheel able to be turned but additional force will be required. When one of the three
warning signals is activated so will power steering. Hydraulic power steering could

also have the same effect except instead of using computer commands it will use a
system of differences in pressure to make the wheel more difficult to turn.

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
Scenario 1
Beca has been driving throughout the day for the past few hours and is having trouble
staying awake. Eventually her blinking becomes more frequent and the blinks last
longer to the point where the total amount of time her eyes are closed within a minute
reaches about thirty seconds and when she nods off, the first trigger is activated. The
rumble strip simulated vibrations awake Beca and she stays awake for the rest of the car
ride without activating any other triggers.
Scenario 2
Beca has been driving for about five hours straight, and it is just about past midnight so
she is extremely tired and is trying to fight off her sleepiness and continue driving. Her
blinks are more frequent and each blink is lasting longer than 1.5 seconds so the first
trigger is activated, and Beca is awakened by three rumble strip vibrations. However,
she is still sleepy and about five minutes later her blinks last longer than 1.5 seconds
and she starts yawning so the second trigger is activated. The rumble strip vibrations
once again wake her up, and an automated voice message warns her that she will be
asked to pull over if she does not continue staying awake. Once again ten minutes later
her blinks start lasting longer than 1.5 seconds and a head nod activates the third
trigger. The rumble strip vibrations wake her up, and the GPS immediately starts
searching for the closest rest stops and gas stations near her location. An automated
voice message tells her she must pull over. The constant beeping urges Beca to take the
next exit to the closest nearby gas station. When she parks and restarts the car the whole
system will start over.

FINAL PROTOTYPE DESCRIPTION

Figure 6: Final Prototype with labeled parts.

In Figure 6, A represents the A-pillar of the vehicle in which we are installing
the Kinect camera. An iPhone sat on the A-pillar to represent the Kinect camera, and the
front camera was turned on for presentation purposes to show the field of view and
what parts of the body the Kinect camera would see and analyze.
B is a red icon with the image of a person falling asleep. Similar to the usual
alert image of a tank running low on gas, this image would appear and blink on the
dashboard as well every time a trigger is activated to let the driver know that they are
in danger of causing an accident because of drowsy driving. This also represents the
part of the system that would repeat aloud the automated voice messages that come
with the second and third triggers.
C is an iPad representing a general GPS that would be activated after the third
trigger to automatically search for nearby rest stops and gas stations so that the driver
can pull over safely.
D is the back of a massage chair whose vibrations can be activated manually,
but simulates the rumble strips vibrations that would come with each trigger in order to
gently give a warning and wake up the driver.
E is the steering wheel, which is a relevant part of the prototype because
power steering would be activated for each trigger because the rumble strip vibrations
could startle the driver awake.

SYSTEM DIAGRAM

Figure 7: This depicts the way the design aspects fit into the vehicle system.

COST ANALYSIS
The first component 3-DS is the CCTV camera with facial recognition algorithms
that will be located in the A-pillar of vehicle. Since the technology available today that
most closely matches the goal of this system is the Kinect camera, the specs and cost of a
Kinect camera will be taken into account. Normally developed by Microsoft and used
for video games on the Xbox, the Kinect technology and its ability to track movement in
the eyelids and the head will be used to recognize when a driver has become too

drowsy to continue driving. The manufacturing price of a Kinect camera and sensor is
about $75.33 Each automobile will include one of these sensors and cameras. Each car
will also include a global positioning system (GPS) which will be installed directly into
the dashboard. The production costs of the GPS will be about $40, about 30% of the
retail price.34 Installation will only require a few minutes as it will be a part of the
assembly process of the vehicle for an estimated installation price of about $5 per
system in each car. The total production costs would amount to about $120 dollars per
3-DS in each automobile.
The total calculated testing costs of the operating system will come to about
$133,000. Staff will amount to $60,000; infrastructure $10,000; and tools $12,500. Then
while testing and re-testing, the possibility for failure and random bugs with the system
must be taken into account to about $50,500.35 This all amounts to about $133,000 for
development costs of 3-DS to implement it into the first car. Before the system is
perfected, it will take about 15 to 20 prototypes so before 3-DS can be sold and
implemented in cars the investment will amount to about $133,000 multiplied by 15
culminating to a total of $1,995,000 for invested development costs. Once the project can
finally be implemented into all vehicles, a cost of about $500,000 would have to be
accounted for integrating the camera into the assembly line process.36
To ensure that the new addition to the car will make a profit, a suggested profit
margin of 130% will be included into the selling price of the car. After selling the system
for $276 for each car, then it will take about 2,535 cars to take care of the new alert
systems costs of $1,995,000 investment plus the cost of mass manufacturing of $500,000,
a profit will start to accumulate.
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS
It was assumed that the addition of the new system will have little to no effect on
the amount of carbon dioxide emissions the vehicle releases because the change in
weight of the car is very minimal. CCTV cameras weigh about 5.9 kg each and the
added GPS weighs about 6.4 ounces so the weight difference is very minimal when
considering the average weight of a car is about 4,000 pounds43,44,45. The technology is
stable and developed enough to last the lifetime of the car that it is added into or last
until the technology becomes outdated enough to eliminate any use of it in the first
place.
When it comes to the end of the Kinect cameras and GPSs life cycle, the ideal
situation is to recycle the materials. Microsoft and Garmin both have recycling
programs where they take the pieces and reuse the materials to manufacture new
products, and ideally the cycle would continue.46,47 However, many electronic materials
do end up in landfills. The bigger problem about that would be the batteries, but the
way that the alert system would work would not require batteries for the Kinect camera

because it is directly powered by the actual car and the cars battery. The GPS does have
a rechargeable battery, but fortunately the model that is used in this particular system is
the Garmin nvi 55LM and has a lithium-ion battery that is fortunately not as
hazardous to the environment as the usual nickel-cadmium batteries one would see in a
landfill.48 If correctly disposed of, the addition of the alert system to the car will not
impact the environment to a major extent.

CONCLUSION
The project objective explained by Delphi Automotive is to identify technology
that can make cars and vehicles safer, greener, or more connected. The 3-DS focuses on
making vehicles safer with Kinect technology to sense when a driver is falling asleep.
The system is able to identify a sleepy driver, wake them up, keep them awake, and
suggest further instructions if the driver continues to fall asleep. The system detects a
sleepy driver with Kinect Active-IR cameras that distinguish facial features and eye
movements. Active-IR cameras are also capable of seeing in the dark. The system will
wake up the driver by activating the drivers seat to vibrate, causing a sensation similar
to rumble strips on the road. The system will keep the driver awake and suggest ideas
using technology that already exists in the car, such as icon displays on the dashboard,
beeping alert sounds, and GPS locations. The prototype is designed to make vehicles
safer and decrease the number of collisions and injuries due to sleepy driving.
The prototype, although thoroughly designed and considered, is not perfect and
has room for error. The prototype may detect false positives of dozing off signals. For
example, the driver may be singing or dancing in their car, bopping their head to the
music, and the system may believe that the driver is nodding off. If the sun is shining
and the driver squints their eyes, the system may detect that the eyes are closing,
signaling to the system that the driver is falling asleep. Also, if a driver is distracted or
texting, looking down for a long period of time, the system will detect that the eyes are
closed believing that the driver is falling asleep. Although texting and driving is not the
focus of the project, it is not harmful to trigger the vibrating seat or other alerts if the
driver continues to text.
The worst case scenario of the 3-DS is that it fails to wake up the driver and a
collision may occur. The system does not cause a decrease in current safety of the car. If
the system fails, then the outcome would be equivalent to current car models reactions
to a sleepy driver. The system would not harm a sleepy driver, only show beneficial
help and aid. Overall, the benefits of the 3-DS outweigh any disadvantages. Delphi
explained that, Our ultimate goal is to help make zero fatalities, zero injuries, and zero
accidents a reality, and the 3-DS shows advancements in achieving this ultimate goal.

Appendix A: First Round of Concept Generation

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

A system of sensors that detect when cars are getting too close to objects while
driving, such as other cars or guardrails.
A system of sensors that detect vitals to address medical emergencies, such as
impending heart attacks or seizures.
A system of sensors that detect eye and body movement to address drowsy
driving and awaken the driver.
A windshield made of sapphire glass that never shatters.
A system of weight sensors on all seats that ensure that the driver and
passengers are wearing seatbelts at all times.
An emergency button to open the car and get immediately released in cases
when drivers and passengers are trapped after an accident.
Altered material for tires to improve performance when driving in the rain, ice,
or snow, through puddles, and/or over sharp objects.
A protectant on the windshield that causes rain and snow to roll off immediately.
A built-in camera for monitoring and addressing bad behavior, such as texting or
drunk driving.
A small hammer with scissors to smash a window and cut a seatbelt in the event
of a need for an emergency exit post-accident.

Appendix B: Second Round of Concept Generation

Concepts for Detection of Drowsiness
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Motion sensor with infrared beamdetects head nodding based on interruption

of the beam.
Motion sensor with infrared cameradetects head nodding based on body heat.
Kinnect cameradetects head nodding, yawning, and eyes closing by
recognizing and monitoring facial features through near infrared light.
Camera with recognition of changeconsiders information provided by an app
that synthesizes information about the drivers face; makes comparisons to detect
drowsy behavior.
Adjustable seat belt detectorsenses a slowing heart rate; adjustable based on
size of driver.
Full strip seat belt detectorsenses a slowing heart rate; able to accommodate all
driver sizes.
Sensors on steering wheeldetect pulse.
Tracking of steering movementsmonitors swerving and ability to stay in the
lane to detect inattentiveness.
Weight sensors on drivers seatdetect slumping.

Concepts for Waking Driver

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Seat belt tightens.

Air conditioner blows cold air.
Steering wheel vibrates.
Drivers seat vibrates, simulating rumble strips.
Air conditioner emits stimulating scents, such as the aroma of coffee or mint.
Radio increases volume of music.
A voice encourages the driver to call someone.
A voice encourages the driver to pull over.
A voice poses word problems to stimulate the drivers brain.
A GPS provides suggestions for places to pull over and rest.
A warning sound plays upon detection of drowsiness.
Beeping occurs constantly with increasing intensity to keep the driver awake or
motivate the driver to pull over.

Appendix C: Drowsy Driving Survey Part 1

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