A concept to embed facial recognition cameras into steering wheels to detect angry or upset drivers is being worked on by researchers. A team in Switzerland said irritated drivers could be more aggressive and less attentive, and therefore assessing emotional state could improve safety. Tests of the system showed promising levels of accuracy.
But one group representing the interests of drivers was not impressed. The researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne said their system "learned" to identify two emotions – anger and disgust – on the face of its test subjects.
Another use for the technology was said to be to detect driver fatigue by monitoring the percentage of eyelid closure. The camera was tested in both an office environment, and in a car provided by Peugeot Citroën. Facial expression recognition technology is already widely used, particularly in the video games industry.