TEL AVIV, Israel—(December 11, 2018) Driver fatigue and distraction are significant factors in highway accidents and fatalities. To combat both conditions, Guardian Optical Technologies has announced it has added the position of a driver’s head to the many safety elements the company’s advanced “All in One” sensor can detect inside the cabin of an automobile.
Drowsy driving slows reaction times, reduces vigilance in paying attention to the road and impairs information processing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reportsdrowsy driving claimed 824 lives in the United States in 2015. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that 21 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes involve driver fatigue. In 2016,3,450 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers and nine percent of fatal crashes in 2016 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
“The position of a driver’s head is an integral part of understanding whether the driver is paying attention to the road while also indicating if he or she is drowsy,” said Gil Dotan, CEO of Guardian Optical Technologies
Guardian’s stand-alone automatic sensor system is built from the ground up to work with automotive hardware and software, including all built-in safety systems, such as seatbelts, airbags. Drivers are constantly kept aware of conditions and people in their cars, allowing them to sidestep dangerous human error, including unintentionally leaving infants behind in the car.
Guardian combines video image recognition (2D), depth mapping (3D), and optical micro- to macro-motion analysis to constantly scan and track occupants and objects anywhere in the vehicle, using low-cost, automotive-grade components. The sensor identifies the location and physical dimensions of everyone in the car, distinguishing people from objects. By detecting micro vibrations, the system can register, in some cases, a presence even without a direct line of sight.
About Guardian Optical Technologies
Guardian Optical Technologies is dedicated to enabling “passenger-aware” cars, with cutting-edge sensor technology that makes cars safer and more convenient. Just one sensor combined with advanced 2D, 3D, and motion analysis protects drivers and passengers by constantly scanning and tracking occupants and objects anywhere in the vehicle. These technologies work with a car’s seatbelts and airbags to sound immediate alerts. The system deploys machine-learning, including image analysis on the sensor’s video feed, as well as “big data” analysis. Committed to providing high value to auto makers today, Guardian Optical Technologies designed its system to effortlessly support future advances in the auto industry, particularly autonomous vehicles. Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, the tech start-up was founded in 2014. It has won major accelerator competitions sponsored by EcoMotion and Microsoft, and has several patents pending, with other patent applications in progress. For more information, visit www.guardian-optech.com.
###
