Israeli start-up uses AI to tackle cellphone usage, smoking while driving

The latest capabilities to identify cellphone usage and smoking will be added to the system's current analysis of head pose, gaze, blink rate and eye openness to identify risks.

By EYTAN HALON
An illustration of Eyesight Technologies' in-vehicle technology (photo credit: EYESIGHT TECHNOLOGIES)
An illustration of Eyesight Technologies' in-vehicle technology
(photo credit: EYESIGHT TECHNOLOGIES)
Eyesight Technologies, an artificial intelligence-powered computer vision start-up, unveiled new capabilities on Thursday to detect and combat driver distraction caused by cellphone usage and smoking.
The Herzliya-based company is behind the DriverSense driver monitoring system, which analyzes facial features to identify signs of drowsiness and distraction and enables car manufacturers to alert the driver of the danger.
The latest capabilities to identify cellphone usage and smoking will be added to the system’s current analysis of head pose, gaze, blink rate and eye openness to identify risks.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately nine Americans are killed and over 1,000 injured every day in accidents caused by distracted drivers. A survey conducted by AT&T found that 43% of teens and 49% of adults admit to texting while driving.
Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also found that smoking while driving doubled or even tripled the likelihood of an accident.
“There’s no greater distraction and danger on today’s road than mobile phones,” said David Tolub, CEO of Eyesight Technologies, which will demonstrate its technology at the CES conference in January. “The average driver doesn’t realize that looking down at your phone to check a text is six times more likely to result in an accident than driving under the influence of alcohol. Our first priority is the safety of all people on the road, and eliminating the distraction created by our cell phones is a huge step towards a much safer road.”
Earlier this month, Eyesight Technologies announced that a well-known US vehicle manufacturer would integrate its solution into two new car models, set to begin production in 2021. The value of the deal was estimated at $15 million.
In welcome news for developers of safety solutions, the European Council adopted a regulation earlier this month requiring all new cars entering the EU market from mid-2022 to be equipped with advanced safety systems.
All motor vehicles, including trucks and buses, will have to be equipped with safety features including advanced driver distraction and drowsiness warning systems, intelligent speed assistance, and the facilitation of installing alcohol interlock systems.
In addition to ensuring driver safety, Eyesight Technologies will also provide its smoking detection technology to the trucking industry through its FleetSense solution.
While more than two-thirds (67%) of long-haul truck drivers smoke, according to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, cigarette smoking while hauling hazardous materials is both against the law and can lead to catastrophe.
The FleetSense solution enables fleet managers to receive real-time updates and improve old protocols of random inspections and manual monitoring of in-cabin cameras.
The company also aims to apply its smoking detection system to the shared car economy, eliminating smoking in rental cars and autonomous vehicles where there are no drivers present to enforce smoking bans.