Fujitsu Aims To Reduce Accidents

Fujitsu is working on new technology that will detect whether a driver is getting drowsy or not via its steering wheel sensor system, and it does so by keeping track of the driver’s heart rate via the driver’s hands on the steering wheel. Of course, this will work best if the driver adheres to good driving habits like keeping both hands on the wheel at all times, so hopefully it will also function well even if the driver has but one hand on the wheel. Whenever a person starts to nod off, the heart rate will start to regulate – and the system which picks up such a signal will automatically turn the radio up, roll down the window by itself (too bad if your vehicle comes with manual windows), or even rely on sensory feedback from the steering wheel to jolt you awake. Fujitsu hopes that its current research and development will see action in consumer vehicles and commercial trucks by 2010.