A lot has been written about the speed at which ADAS is proliferating in vehicles. These systems are designed to improve road safety. Nowadays, cars have AI-powered cameras that can understand what is happening inside the cabin!
Keeping an eye on the cabin helps in providing safety and comfort to the driver and the passengers. It’s an affordable solution that is easy to deploy.
Let’s take a look at a couple of reasons why this technology is so much in demand right now.
Seat Belt Reminder
Occupant or object? A simple pressure sensor might not exactly tell whether the weight on the seat is of an occupant or a bag. But radar and camera sensors don’t have the same problem. They can easily distinguish between the two so that the seat belt reminder function won’t tell a bag pack to fasten its seat belt.
This system is not just cool to have. It is very well required. Seat belt reminder is a mandate in both US and European markets.
Occupant Detection
Radar can see more than what meets the eye. It can detect vital signs of the occupants and their seating position.
Regulatory bodies such as Euro NCAP and NTHSA are consistently giving weightage to child presence detection in their overall safety rating.
There are many safety features of In-Cabin Sensing that are generating demand for this solution but the unattended child detection tops it all. It is garnering a lot of attention from automakers and consumers of late.
According to the National Safety Council, on average heatstroke kills 38 children every year. Safety advocates believe that such a system can detect unattended children and can alert the driver of their presence.
But these technologies can work only if the system can effectively differentiate between the child and adult. Fortunately, radar and camera sensors can jointly classify between adults and kids. It uses height and shoulder-length to classify the occupants into different age groups.
They can also effectively detect the occupant under plastic, drywall, clothing and blankets with high accuracy. It can detect a child placed in the footwell too!
Air Bag Detection
The accurate sensing of Occupant Monitoring System can benefit the airbag in taking the right decisions. The radar can help in distinguishing the difference between the child and an adult. So, when the airbags are deployed, it can adjust as per the size, weight and position of the occupant. This will significantly reduce the risk of injury.
Due to these attributes, automakers are actively looking for implementing an Occupant Monitoring System that can be cost-effectively integrated into any vehicle they manufacture.
Out of Position
Sensors can also detect the size and position of the occupants for more individual adjustment of the restraint system.
Keeping these features in mind, we have already developed an advanced Occupant Monitoring System.
Conclusion
In-Cabin Sensing is a necessity in the present-day scenario. It contributes to the safety of people inside the cabin. Occupant Monitoring System can determine if children or pets are present inside the cabin or whether seat belts are being used. Hopefully we will get to see more of this technology in the coming years.
