Jaguar Land Rover is trailing an in-car system that changes temperature, music and lighting in response to a driver’s mood.
The system gauges a driver’s mood with a driver-facing camera and biometric sensing, and adjusts the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, media and ambient lighting to help tackle stress and tiredness.
“Personalisation settings could include changing the ambient lighting to calming colours if the system detects the driver is under stress, selecting a favourite playlist if signs of weariness are identified, and lowering the temperature in response to yawning or other signs of tiring,” the company said.
The systems uses AI to get to know the owners moods better over time, Jaguar Land Rover added.
“In time the system will learn a driver’s preference and make increasingly tailored adjustments,” the company said.
In a video demonstrating the technology, the system says things like: “I notice that you are feeling bored, I found this cooking podcast you might like” and “It looks like your energy levels are dipping, I am activating alertness boost”.
A similar system is also being tested on passengers, with a camera mounted in the headrest.
“If the system detects signs of tiredness, it could dim the lights, tint the windows and raise the temperature in the back, to help an occupant get to sleep,” Jaguar Land Rover said.
Eyes on the driver
The technology is an extension of the manufacturers ‘Driver Condition Monitor’, already available on all new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, which is capable of detecting if a driver is starting to feel drowsy, chiefly from lane position, and will give an early warning – a flashing coffee cup symbol – to take a break.
Similar features are becoming available in new models from other manufacturers. Earlier this year, Volvo announced it would roll out driver monitoring cameras to its vehicles which observe the driver’s attention to the road and driving patterns.
If a driver has “taken their eyes off the road or is weaving across lanes, they get a call from Volvo’s ‘on call assistance service’.
If the driver doesn’t respond, have their eyes closed or does not have their hands on the steering wheel, the car will “safely pull over for a stop”.
New Audi A8’s, which come with Level 3 autonomous driving features, film the driver to make sure they are awake, and if not beeps and tugs on the seat belt.
“As we move towards a self-driving future, the emphasis for us remains as much on the driver as it ever has,” said Dr Steve Iley, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief medical officer.
“By taking a holistic approach to the individual driver, and implementing much of what we’ve learnt from the advances in research around personal well being over the last 10 or 15 years, we can make sure our customers remain comfortable, engaged and alert behind the wheel in all driving scenarios, even monotonous motorway journeys,” he added.
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