Researchers have developed two new applications of eye-tracking technology which could help make driving safer.
“Prior to a crash, drivers can be easily distracted by an alert from a collision avoidance warning — a popular feature in new vehicles — and we feel this could be a growing problem in distraction-related vehicle crashes,” said researcher Jung Hyup Kim, Assistant Professor Fom University of Missouri in the US.
“Therefore, a two-way communication channel needs to exist between a driver and a vehicle. For instance, if a driver is aware of a possible crash, then the vehicle does not have to warn the driver as much,” Kim said.
However, if a vehicle provides an alert that, by itself, creates a distraction, it could also lead to a crash, said the researcher. For the study, the researchers watched how people’s pupils changed in response to their physical reactions to a collision avoidance warning by a vehicle-assisted safety system. Researchers believe they have enough data to begin the next step of developing a two-way communication model.
A person’s pupil could also help scientists find a way to decrease distracted driving crashes through a first-hand perspective into a driver’s behaviour, said the study. (IANS)
