A Low-Cost Prototype for Driver Fatigue Detection

Driver fatigue and inattention accounts for up to 20% of all traffic accidents, therefore any system that can warn the driver whenever fatigue occurs proves to be useful. Several systems have been devised to detect driver fatigue symptoms, such as measuring physiological parameters, which can be uncomfortable, or using a video or infrared camera pointed at the driver’s face, which in some cases, may cause privacy concerns for the driver. Usually these systems are expensive, therefore a brief discussion on low-cost fatigue detection systems is presented, followed by a proposal for a non-intrusive low-cost prototype, that aims to detect driver fatigue symptoms. The prototype consists of several sensors that monitor driver physical parameters and vehicle behaviour, with a total system price close to 30 euros. The prototype is discussed and compared with similar systems, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses.