A Portable Multi-Modal Cushion for Continuous Monitoring of a Driver's Vital Signs

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Automotive Safety Systems
• Wearable Sensor Technology

Background:

• Increasing vehicle automation necessitates robust driver monitoring systems for safety.
• Driver distraction from drowsiness, stress, alcohol, and critical physiological events poses significant risks.
• The aging population increases the prevalence of cardiovascular issues impacting driver safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a portable cushion-based system for monitoring a vehicle driver's physiological status.
• To assess the accuracy and potential applications of multi-modal sensor measurements for driver monitoring.
• To evaluate the system's capability in detecting drowsiness, stress, and cardiovascular risks.

Main Methods:

• Development of a portable cushion integrating four sensor units.
• Utilized capacitive electrocardiography, reflective photoplethysmography, magnetic induction, and seismocardiography.
• Conducted a proof-of-concept study with twenty participants in a driving simulator.

Main Results:

• Accurate estimation of heart rate (over 70% of medical-grade accuracy per IEC 60601-2-27).
• Reliable respiratory rate measurements with errors below 2 BPM (around 30% accuracy).
• Demonstrated potential for monitoring capacitive electrocardiogram morphological changes.
• Successfully captured heart rate variability and breathing rate variability.

Conclusions:

• The developed cushion system shows promise for monitoring driver fitness and detecting drowsiness/stress.
• Measurements can aid in the early prediction of cardiovascular diseases.
• The UnoVis dataset provides publicly available data for further research.