Instant Warning System to Detect Drivers in Fatigue

This paper presents a non intrusive prototype computer vision system for monitoring a drivers vigilance in real time. It is based on a hardware system for the real-time acquisition of a drivers images using an active video camera and the software implementation for monitoring some visual behaviors that characterize a drivers level of vigilance. two parameters are used. one is the head position and the second is the percentage of eye that is closed while running. These parameters are combined using a fuzzy classifier to infer the level of inattentiveness of the driver. The use of multiple visual parameters and the fusion of these parameters yield a more robust and accurate inattention characterization than by using a single parameter. The system has been tested with different sequences recorded in night and day driving conditions in a motorway and with different users. Some experimental results and conclusions about the performance of the system are presented.