Drowsy driving detection based on human pulse wave by photoplethysmography signal processing

Drowsiness of driver while driving is one major factor of traffic accident. Therefore, there are many researches to prevent and detect drowsy driving. Recent researches have focused on motion detection using cameras to determine drowsy driving. However, we have focused on non-invasive and inexpensive drowsiness detection system. In our previous research, we suggested a system based on the driver's head movement using infrared sensors. In this paper, we suggest another non-invasive and inexpensive system based on the driver's pulse wave by photoplethysmography (PPG) signal processing. Firstly, the system collects a pulse wave from a PPG sensor on a steering wheel and then it processes the signal to analyze driver's state. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of a human pulse wave for drowsiness detection, we integrated two systems. The experimental result using new integration system showed 83 percent drowsy driving detection rate in the state of real driving.