Using Facial Recognition to Monitor Driver’s Vital Signs

　　Following last year’s announcements around the Consumer Electronics Show from Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover, the use of facial recognition technology in the automotive industry is moving to a new level with a demo at the forthcoming CES of a camera-based system for vital parameter recognition of vehicle drivers.

　　Germany-based FZI Research Center for Information Technology will be demonstrating its camera-based driver state monitoring system, which is a prototype of its latest research on embedded systems and sensors technologies to measure vital parameters during a car ride. A camera inside the vehicle measures factors such as heart and blink rate, head pose and emotions of the driver and continuously evaluates the information. “In this way, we gain a comprehensive and constantly updated picture of the driver state. Thus, we are able to improve the interaction between the driver and the vehicle,” explains Timon Bl?cher, researcher at the FZI.

　　The FZI, which is part of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, is a non-profit institution for applied research in information technology and technology transfer. Its task is to provide businesses and public institutions with the latest research findings in information technology.

　　The Karlsruhe researchers are using an off-the-shelf webcam for the project without attaching sensors to the driver and without using special lighting. The system can autonomously recognize facial areas and to derive the driver’s stress and fatigue level with the help of innovative image and signal processing algorithms.

　　The measurements also give some indication of the driver’s attentiveness or excitement level. The collected information allows a conclusion to be drawn about the individual driving behavior. In combination with modern driver assistance systems, such as a distraction warning system or a medical emergency brake assistant, the camera-based measurement can make driving more predictable and thus safer.

　　Around CES 2017, there were announcements from Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover about their facial recognition technology for the car. Chrysler’s system, which it said could be ready for showrooms in 2020, can scan a driver and maintain his or her profile for various preferred driving parameters. Jaguar Land Rover published a patent for using facial recognition technology for drivers to gain access to their cars using camera-based systems.

　　Research published earlier this month suggests the global facial recognition market is expected to grow from $4.05 billion in 2017 to $7.76 billion by 2022, a compound annual growth rate of 13.9 percent. Growth globally is expected to be driven by factors such as the increased need for enhanced surveillance and monitoring at public places and the increase in the use of facial recognition technologies in industries such as the government.

　　Research and Markets segments its data into software tools and services, and puts growth down to growing awareness among enterprises about the features of facial recognition technologies and the rising need for a more secured biometric system. It says cloud-based facial recognition services could play a vital role in face detection and recognition.

　　In particular it highlights 3D facial recognition technology being able to overcome the drawbacks of 2D facial recognition, since it is not dependent on illumination, which enables it to capture high-quality images in uncontrolled environments, such as poorly lit or completely dark areas. 3D facial recognition technology has a high potential to analyze, identify, and verify the facial characteristics of individuals.

　　Another report drills down to look at automotive biometric identification systems, which use iris and retina scanning, fingerprint and vein imaging, and face and voice recognition. Transparency Market Research says that the component segment of this is broken down into processing units, embedded microcomputers, and micro-chipsets. These then serve applications such as engine start-stop systems, biometric vehicle access systems, memory steering, infotainment system, memory seats, and driver fatigue and drowsiness monitoring systems.

　　The driver fatigue and drowsiness monitoring system segment further sub-divides into eye tracking/blink monitoring, facial expressions/head movements, and heart rate monitoring.

　　It says key players operating in the automotive biometric identification market include Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental AG, Synaptics Incorporated and Hitachi Ltd.