Development of Game-like System using Active Behavior Input for Wakefulness Keeping Support in Driving

Various drowsiness detection systems have been developed to prevent traffic accidents. Drivers feel such systems are annoying or useless when the systems provide many false drowsiness alarms. Drowsy driving prevention systems should satisfy the following three features to be accepted by many drivers: 1) Precise drowsiness detection, 2) Drowsy driving warning whereby drivers are less annoyed by false alarms, and 3) Mechanisms that promote drivers to adopt active behavior to maintain his/her wakefulness. The present work proposes a new drowsy driving prevention system that has these features. The proposed system, referred to as a wakefulness keeping support system (WKSS), consists of a drowsiness detection system (DDS), which corresponds to the first feature, and an active game system (AGS), which corresponds to the second and third features. The AGS is a simple game, which encourages drivers to adopt specific active behavior to play the game. Drivers can keep their wakefulness by playing the AGS, while enjoying it, even though false drowsiness alarms may occur. The usefulness of the proposed WKSS was evaluated through experiments using a driving simulator, which suggest that WKSS has a potential for being accepted by many drivers and contributing to realizing a zero-traffic accident society.