Computer Will Discourage Distracted Driving

Toshiba thinks it might have an answer. The company has built a driving computer that literally watches to see how attentive you are to the road. The system uses a dashboard-mounted camera to monitor your pupils and facial orientation while driving. It looks at nine predetermined sectors of your vision, so if you start paying more attention to the A/C than the road, it will give you a gentle audio warning.

Initially, this sounds kind of, well, obnoxious, but the camera also tracks blinking patterns to make sure drivers aren’t falling asleep — a greater safety concern than most people imagine. The system can also take commands via facial expression. For instance, a certain twitch could turn on your windshield wipers.

As bizarre as this technology sounds, Toshiba has said that it plans to commercialize it. Would you want a computer watching you for driving distractions? Let us know in the comments.

Toshiba’s Automotive System Keeps Eye on Driver’s Face (Tech-on via Gizmodo)