Concept-Driver Takeover Monitoring System

Motivation

Modern vehicles are equipped with advanced autonomy and driver assistance, yet human physiological and emotional states remain critical to safe driving. This system integrates biometric data—including stress levels and mood —to dynamically assess the driver’s readiness for takeover. When elevated stress is detected, the system issues alerts like "High stress detected: relax and prepare for vehicle handover," or delays manual control to ensure the driver is calm before takeover. Integrating physiological awareness into driver monitoring not only improves takeover timing but also helps protect drivers from making unsafe decisions during critical handovers.

Idea sketch

Design Sketch (for right and left sides):

Right Side: The right side of the illustration is divided into three key sections: the air vent-mounted holder, the dual-sided magnetic sensor module, and the smartphone. These components magnetically attach to each other, enabling modular assembly. The sensor device can magnetically attach to the phone for stress and mood detection even when the driver is holding the phone, ensuring continuous monitoring and adaptability between mounted and handheld use.

Left Side: The left side presents early-stage product sketches, iterating on the form factor and aesthetic of the monitoring device, blending ergonomic considerations with technical functionality.

system summary

A stress and mood detection device designed for autonomous vehicles, integrating a sodium ion sensor for saliva-based stress detection and a camera for facial emotion analysis, capable of uploading data to the cloud and providing feedback to the user, enabling safer takeover decisions. By continuously analyzing emotional and stress signals, the system predicts driver readiness for manual control, offering proactive interventions and real-time guidance to ensure a smooth transition from autonomous to manual driving.