As the automotive industry moves toward more intelligent and personalized mobility solutions, driver monitoring systems play a vital role in enhancing safety and user experience. At emotion3D, we believe that innovation and research are not just about creating new technologies but about redefining the way that vehicles protect and interact with drivers. Our projects are designed to solve current and upcoming challenges in the DMS field, and to make this technology more human-centred.
By participating in groundbreaking initiatives such as Roadguard, Empathic Vehicle and A-IQ Ready, we are shaping the future of automotive for drivers, offering them solutions to increase their safety and comfort. In the second part of our blog series, we’re exploring these DMS focused innovation projects in a bit more detail.
Our Innovation Projects: A Glimpse into the Future of DMS Intelligence
Roadguard: Holistic Driver Monitoring for Safety & Compliance
The Roadguard project addresses the need for context-aware driver monitoring systems that integrate interior and exterior sensing, going beyond standard eye-tracking and drowsiness/distraction detection. Our approach bridges the gap between current limitations and the future of driving, improving detections of distraction, fatigue, and risky driving behaviors, all while aligning with regulatory requirements such as GSR and Euro NCAP standards by increasing contextual awareness. Partnering up with companies such as ZKW and Virtual Vehicle, we’re working towards achieving the EU Vision Zero initiative by eliminating road fatalities through smarter, proactive safety measures.
Empathic Vehicle: Emotion Recognition for Enhanced UX and Safety
The Empathic Vehicle project takes in-cabin analysis to the next level, beyond safety, by enabling the vehicle to recognize and respond to drivers’ emotional states and body language. Through computer vision and machine learning, together with TU Wien and FH Technikum Wien, we aim to improve road safety and user experience by making the vehicle more attuned to human emotions and responsive to occupant needs. As people are spending more time in their vehicles, user experience has become a significant aspect and selling point for vehicles, and our aim is to make their journey as comfortable and pleasant as possible while contributing to safety by increasing the ease of use.
A-IQ Ready: Intelligent Driver Monitoring for Safe Mobility
The A-IQ Ready project positions emotion3D at the forefront of next-generation driver monitoring. The project develops solutions that predict and prevent dangerous situations, enhancing driver safety. Together with major industry partners such as Mercedes Benz AG, TTTech Auto and Huawei, we are working on the ambitious goal of moving from drowsiness detection to a very precise sleep prediction approach. By combining various sensors (e.g. cameras, wearables, radar, etc.), dangerous situations caused by drowsy drivers or by external factors such as the use of glasses or a sudden change in ambient light conditions can be detected or even avoided at an early stage to increase driver safety.
The Future of Automotive Safety & UX
These projects exemplify our dedication to innovation that matters – innovation that makes mobility smarter, safer, and more human-centred. As we continue to collaborate with partners and industry leaders, we remain focused on creating a world where vehicles genuinely understand and respond to the people inside them.
Stay tuned for the next parts of our series to read more about how emotion3D is reshaping the future of in-cabin intelligence through our ongoing innovation and research endeavours.
This work is funded by the FFG project No 915289 (roadguard), by the Vienna Business Agency, project No 4998519 (empathic vehicle), as well as by the EU Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement No 101096658, project A-IQ Ready.