π-Model Capacitive Sensor for Steering Wheel Hand Position Detection

The positioning and posture of hands on the steering wheel are crucial for ensuring road safety while driving. This letter introduces a novel π-model capacitive sensor designed for detecting hand positions on the steering wheel. The system comprises two sets of π-model capacitive sensors, each utilizing two large curved electrodes. Existing methods for monitoring hand positions often involve complex multisensor setups and camera-based systems, which can raise privacy concerns and complexity. However, the proposed capacitive sensing mechanism offers a nonintrusive, privacy-preserving solution with a simple design. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed sensor's high accuracy, with an error rate of less than 0.2% for position estimation, making it an effective alternative to the existing systems. The proposed sensor has direct application in automobiles, such as identifying driver fatigue, providing timely warnings, and assessing driver attentiveness.