Driver monitoring systems (DMS) are rapidly gaining prevalence, thanks to the implementation of the new General Safety Regulations (GSR) by the European Union. As of June 2024, camera based DMS installations will become mandatory to meet GSR requirements. While DMS raised attention primarily in the context of passenger cars in recent years, its influence extends across multiple industries, and has been around for far longer than commonly assumed.
Naturally, the automotive industry is significantly impacted by DMS, affecting both drivers and passengers. Mandated by regulatory bodies, DMS will become an integral part of our daily lives in the coming years, with safety being the main advantage. However, DMS also offers a great deal of other benefits, including enhanced user experience for drivers and passengers.
Transportation and logistics represent another industry affected by DMS. In addition to passenger vehicles, regulations extend to commercial vehicles, trucks, and fleets, where mitigating driver impairment is crucial due to longer duration of vehicle operation leading to an increased risk of fatigue and distraction. Public transportation, encompassing buses, trains, and trams, faces similar use cases, but with heightened responsibility given the larger number of passengers relying on drivers.
Furthermore, private-sector entities such as taxis, ride-sharing services, and delivery companies, along with healthcare transportation services like ambulances and patient transfer vehicles, fall under DMS regulations, emphasizing the critical role of driver monitoring in ensuring passenger safety. Autonomous shuttles and robotaxis are on the rise as well, requiring very specific set of features with an importance far beyond the ones for passenger cars as they lack drivers. Many functions that are followed through by drivers need to be taken over by technology. We are currently working on autonomous shuttle projects and see the immense potential and critical importance of use cases around these new vehicles.
The mining and construction sectors also require DMS to mitigate the risks associated with driver impairment, particularly when operating heavy machinery and equipment. This is considered by some as the birth reason for DMS. Similarly, in military and defence, DMS is used for both safety and security purposes in military vehicles.
Moreover, an unlikely thought of industry is agriculture. Many agricultural operations benefit from DMS to safeguard operator safety and enhance productivity, highlighting its versatility across diverse industries. We have worked with TTControl on this subject, assisting their technology with ours to reach maximum efficiency and safety.
Finally, another significant industry is aviation, where DMS is beneficial for pilots to maintain optimal alertness and performance, considering the significant responsibility they hold for passenger safety during flights.
All in all, the applicability of DMS is well beyond passenger cars and commercial vehicles. There are numerous advantages that can be attributed to DMS such as elevating user experience, aiding humans and increasing productivity and efficiency. Still the main benefit of DMS will always be safety. All machines and vehicles operated by humans need to be equipped with DMS to increase the safety of the interior and exterior environment.