EyeAwake: A cost effective drowsy driver alert and vehicle correction system

In the recent past, drowsy driving has become a leading cause of accidents. Detecting and correcting drowsy driving before an accident occurs is crucial. Several drowsy driving detection systems have been developed. However, most of these systems rely on complex image processing algorithms which don't work well especially at night when ambient lighting is low or not present at all. Also, low cost drowsy driving detection and alert systems with satisfactory accuracy are not widely available. This paper presents a cost effective drowsy driver alert and vehicle correction system called EyeAwake. It is also capable of providing exterior visual notifications to other drivers and pedestrians on the road to steer clear from the drowsily driven vehicle. EyeAwake monitors the behavioral and physiological characteristics of the driver such as eye blinking rate, unnatural head nodding/swaying, breathing rate and heart rate to detect drowsy driving. A wide range of sensors are used to monitor these parameters. EyeAwake achieves a remarkable 70% accuracy on road and costs approximately US$40 to build.