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Advisory system to alert sleepy drivers
Page 21
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• by Cohn Barnett With some research suggesting that tiredness Is a factor in a quarter of all motorway and trunk road accidents, a new system offers a fresh approach to the problem. A newly-formed technology company, Pernlx, has developed ASTill (Advisory System for Tired Drivers), The system is a direct result of the 10-year research programme by the Loughborough Steep Research Centre, the UK's authority on the subject. The system consists of a dash-mounted control box and a 'traffic light' warning system. The box contains a timer function, which establishes journey length and time of day, and motion sensors which identify whether the journey is, for example, a monotonous motorway trip. These can also pick up any sudden or exaggerated steering corrections.
The data from these sources Is matched to the system's data on sleep patterns (based on the Centre's research) to calculate the risk of tiredness. The only Input needed from the driver Is the amount of sleep taken before the journey. When an excessive level of tiredness is calculated, the driver is warned to take a minimum 15-minute break. A 'snooze' alarm prevents over-sleeping.
ASTiD is expected to cost less than £500 per vehicle. Pernix is currently setting up a UK distribution network. 08001958850.