DMS uses attention-monitoring sensors in the dashboard to detect eye and facial movements so it can identify if the driver has become inattentive, either due to drowsiness or distraction. It can understand the state of the driver in real world conditions, including bright sunlight and if the driver is wearing glasses or sunglasses.

The algorithm we have developed for DMS has the potential to seamlessly enable a host of safety and autonomous driving features and reduce the potential for accidents caused by the driver not paying attention. DMS is unique because it is the only driver monitoring system that can achieve this even if the driver is wearing shades, or in full sunshine.

—Nick Langdale-Smith, Vice President, Seeing Machines

To deliver the processing power required by the DMS system, Seeing Machines asked Intel to install hardware in the F-Type prototype based on its newest Intel Core i7 chips.

The attention-monitoring technology we are showcasing at CES has huge potential for road safety. If the driver’s gaze moves towards the infotainment screen or out of a side window, and the car identifies this, then the system could alert the driver to hazards earlier. DMS could even enhance settings in safety systems like Autonomous Emergency Braking, to reflect the driver’s lack of attention. As the car drives up to a hazard, the brakes could engage autonomously sooner because the car realizes the driver has not seen the danger ahead.

—Dr. Wolfgang Ziebart, Jaguar Land Rover Engineering Director

DMS could also help the car share information with the driver more effectively. Jaguar Land Rover is currently researching a next-generation heads-up display that could utilise the full width of the windscreen. The idea is to present the right information to the driver at the right time, without having to take their eyes off the road.

In September 2014, Seeing Machines signed a 15-year strategic alliance with TK Holdings Inc., the Americas subsidiary of Takata Corporation (Takata)—an automotive industry leader in the supply of advanced driver safety systems (ADAS). The companies had been collaboratively developing driver monitoring technology for two years; Takata had earlier secured a contract to deliver its first mass-manufactured implementation of a driver-monitoring system.

The Seeing Machines’ Operator Monitoring System is based on patented eye-tracking technology that uses sensing equipment that requires no re-calibration between different drivers and tracks head alignment for potential distraction of the driver.