ARIE Capital Technology EIS funds AI breakthrough
Cars that scrutinise the face of their drivers could soon be built as Seat develops a system that tracks eye openness, angle of vision and head position to see if they are falling asleep.
SEAT has partnered with Israeli firm Eyesight Technologies on the tracking feature, which uses cameras and sensors combined with AI to monitor the driver’s alertness.
Eyesight Technologies’ alertness algorithm also detects when the driver is distracted by a mobile phone.
The technology can identify the driver from previous trips and adjust the seats, mirrors, heating settings and other cabin features automatically.
Eventually, the software will also be able to detect pedestrians and analyse whether the driver is aware of them.
Stefan Ilijevic, the head of product innovation at SEAT, said: ‘In total more than 90 per cent of the road accidents in Europe are caused by human factor.
‘The main reasons include distraction and tiredness, excessive speed and alcohol and drugs.
‘At SEAT we are working on solutions to prevent negligence behind the steering wheel and significantly reduce road accidents.
‘We partner with some of the world’s brightest companies on important technology to save lives, since our long-term vision is a world with zero accidents.’
