Toyota Motor Corp. has announced that it has improved its pre-crash safety system by adding a driver-monitoring function that recognizes the orientation of the driver's face and warns of a collision. The system will be mounted on a Lexus branded new model slated for launch in spring 2006.
The system uses millimeter-wave radar to monitor obstacles ahead. If it detects a probability of a collision while a driver is not looking straight ahead, it then turns on the warning light and buzzer. If the warning fails to make the driver face forward, the system determines that a collision is imminent and automatically applies the brake slightly for a moment to alert the driver to the danger.
The system includes an automotive camera mounted on the steering column to monitor the orientation of the driver's face. In addition, a computer recognizes the image of the driver's face shot with the camera.
According to Toyota, most vehicle accidents are caused by lack of driver awareness. Compared to the company's previous pre-crash safety system, the company boasts the newly improved system allows a warning at an earlier stage and an accordingly likely reduction in the danger of a collision.
Keisuke Ogawa, Nikkei Automotive Technology