Designed to discourage distracted radio fiddlers and sleepy driving, Toshiba’s new driving computer audits drivers by monitoring their wandering eyeballs.
Once calibrated, the system tracks your pupils and facial orientation with a steering-wheel-mounted camera to determine which of its nine predetermined “sectors” you’re looking at, and whether or not something else—say, the road—deserves more attention. An activated turn signal, for example, could demand that you check your sideview mirrors, and the camera could check to see if you do. It’ll also watch your blinking patterns to make sure you aren’t sleeping while driving.
It’s not all nagging, as the system can also be used to activate or control devices in the car with eye gestures, although having to wink at your GPS unit or make a face at your aircon sounds like it would just about cancel out all those safety benefits we were just talking about. Information could be presented over the car’s stereo, or through a windshield HUD.
Toshiba hasn’t announced when they’ll commercialize the system yet, but according to Tech-On, they do plan to bring it to market, someday. [Tech-on via Newlaunches]
