At CES 2022, Mitsubishi Electric announced a new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) that promotes safe driving through monitoring the driver's physical condition. The Driver Monitoring System (DMS) tracks the driver's heart rate and responsiveness. If their alertness drops too low or a change occurs in the driver's physical condition (fell asleep, had a seizure, a heart attack...), then the DMS will set off an alarm. If the driver stays unresponsive, the DMS notifies a support center, which can then trigger the vehicle to pull over.
The DMS functionality is featured in Mitsubishi's new concept car, EMIRAI xS Drive. The vehicle is equipped with near-infrared cameras and radio-wave sensors that will monitor the driver and passengers. Based on the driver's facial expressions (closed eyes, open mouth, etc.) or other body information (pulse and respiration rates), the DMS can track drowsiness or sickness.
“Enabling safe, convenient, and sustainable transportation of people and things is one of our key areas of focus at CES under our Mobility pillar,” said Mark Rakoski, vice president of advanced engineering at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America (MEAA). “Our DMS plays a critical role in enabling a people-centric smart society that promotes the health and safety of individuals and families.”
Also, with the continued work toward autonomous driving, the DMS system will play an important role. Typically, if a driver begins to feel sick, they'll pull over and call for help or be assisted by other drivers on the road, but when driving autonomously, if the driver loses consciousness, the vehicle could keep driving until it's reached the destination. But if the vehicle can sense this change in the driver and alert a support center, that could save the driver's life.
Other ADAS safety features include:
- departure preparation, ensuring the driver and passengers are ready to travel
- occupant detection, that prevents infants, small children, and pets from being left in the vehicle
- nighttime driving features
- control the vehicle's lights intensity and throw distance
- initiate warning sounds when approaching objects are detected
