Driver Drowsiness Analysis Based on Multiple Facial Features

ABOUT THE PROJECT

At a glance

Operating a motor vehicle while fatigued or sleepy is commonly referred to as “drowsy driving.” Drowsiness makes drivers less attentive, slows reaction time, affects a driver’s ability to make decisions. A driver might not even know when he or she is fatigued because signs of fatigue are hard to identify. Some people may also experience micro-sleep – short, involuntary periods of inattention. In the 4 or 5 seconds a driver experiences micro-sleep, at highway speed, the vehicle will travel the length of a football field. Drowsy driving is a serious traffic problem in the United States.

Our proposed work is based on behavioral parameters, which is a way to detect drowsiness based on a non-invasive method. Human drowsiness is measured by behavior parameters such as blinking, head position, facial expression, yawning, and eye-closing rate. We hope that this work can find innovative definitions via a combination of facial features, and the results of this research can advance the understanding of drowsiness. Ultimately, we hope it will lead to preventive measures to improve traffic safety.

Principal Investigatorsresearchersthemes
Ching-Yao ChanI-Hsi Kao

driver drowsiness, multiple facial features,  detection by behavior parameters