Mitsubishi Develops In-Car Monitoring System With IR Radio Waves

One of the bigger challenges with autonomous cars or even cars with ADAS technology is making sure the driver of the vehicle is not taking undue advantage of the technology and not paying attention to the road. Hence, many manufacturers have come up with driver monitoring solutions - including Tesla. But in a new Mitsubishi Electric car concept called the Emirati xS Drive, there is a futuristic solution to in-cabin driver monitoring.

The cabin in the concept features infrared cameras that capture the driver's facial and biometric features much like Face ID on an iPhone. But Mitsubishi dials up the technology to another level as the cameras can capture minute changes in the skin brightness caused by a person's pulse rate. It can even detect changes in vehicle vibrations and changes in the interior ambient light.

Autonomous cars are using LiDAR's for spatial awareness but now similar tech is being used inside the car as well

The camera also looks at the driver's posture movements, body temperature for signs of fatigue and basically uses all information it can to gauge a driver's alertness. If the driver appears drowsy, then it will send an alert recommending a break or stopping the vehicle along the shoulder.

Mitsubishi has also added radio wave sensors that detect the presence of other occupants and their body size in the car to figure out if there is an infant that's on the back seat. It even adds a high definition locator which monitors where the driver is looking and illuminates the road in that direction while also considering the shape and curve of the driving surface. This concept will also illuminate potential hazards outside of the driver's view.

This concept will be further detailed at CES Las Vegas, though commercialisation could be years away and may not be even needed in the case of driverless autonomous cars which don't have steering wheels.