How can Sensor Technology Enhance Driving Experience?

Sensor technology in automobiles is becoming increasingly advanced and affordable. Sensors provide basic human interfaces, which, combined with machine learning (ML), enhance systems or devices' understanding of what people are presently doing, intending to do, or have done previously.

Fremont, CA: Modern cell phones showcase how sensor technology has been innovatively utilized to enhance our daily lives. When you pick up the phone, the screen "magically" turns on. It's not magic; inside, there's a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The combined data from these sensors prompts the device to exit sleep mode, activating the processor, screen, and radio when you look at it. Alternatively, the sensor data collected can indicate that the phone has been placed in a pocket, causing it to enter low-power sleep mode.

Historically, safety concerns outside of vehicles were the primary drivers for implementing sensors. However, cars are gradually becoming more like smartphones, using sensors to improve functionality.

Here are two scenarios where sensor technology can be applied to enhance the driving experience:

Intelligent Airbags

Pressure sensors, especially in the front seat cushions, can assess the occupant's size and weight, allowing airbags to adjust settings properly. For example, if the occupant is smaller and lighter, the airbag deploys with a different force than if the individual is more significant. Furthermore, the mechanism will not activate if no passenger is in the front seat. If the car is not totaled in an accident, it avoids needing a costly and unnecessary repair.

Occupancy Detection

Using a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor, a microphone, a pressure sensor in the rear seat cushion, and an in-cabin temperature detector, you can determine if the subject in the backseat of a parked car is a child or a pet and take necessary action. Any of these sensors could give a false positive. Integrating the sensor inputs may make you significantly more confident about the situation and help you determine the best action.

Some automobiles can now send notifications to the driver's smartphone app. If the driver does not respond, the system could slide down the windows or sound the horn, presumably drawing the attention of another driver.

You don't want the windows to open unnecessarily or the occupancy detection device to malfunction in other ways. Thus, sensor fusion naturally boosts confidence in your action while preventing false positives or negatives. Because of this ambiguity, there are growing liability concerns about these safety mechanisms, which could be more effective.