Drowsiness disrupts work performance and increases the risks of accidents substantially, especially for performance-critical tasks, such as driving and piloting. The National Sleep Foundation estimated in 2002 that 51% of adult drivers had driven a vehicle while drowsy and 17% had fallen asleep behind the wheel. Pilot drowsiness is an important factor in pilot performance and aviation accidents. Pilot drowsiness can reduce alertness and attention and cause longer response times. Drowsiness is also concerning because peopleââ¬â¢s own judgment of their susceptibility to drowsiness is poor. Drowsiness can be detected using a variety of sensors, including electroencephalograph (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), polyphysiograph, accelerator sensors, and oculographical measurements. Infrared cameras or smartphone cameras can be used to monitor oculographical measurements, such as eye blinks and PERCLOS (Percentage of Eye Closure). New advancements in mobile technologies and sensors make drowsiness detection more feasible and affordable in real-world tasks. For example, Dr. He and his coworkers used Android and iPhone smartphones to detect visual indicators of driver fatigue, such as head nods, head rotation, and eye blinks.
Last date updated on September, 2024