At the end of May, we participated in one of the industry’s most anticipated events: InCabin USA. Bringing together experts of the industry, this event provides a great opportunity to see the latest developments in the market and it fuels discussions about the future of automotive in cabin safety.
The future of driver monitoring: DOMS
This year we showcased our 1-megapixel high field-of-view (FoV) Driver and Occupant Monitoring System (DOMS) and received amazing feedback especially regarding the smoothness and accuracy of the 3D pose estimation based on the 2D images. Our eye gaze tracking and related features were also acknowledged for their performance with the low resolution and wide FoV setup. One of our partners, Melexis, featured our joint demo at their booth, highlighting our DOMS algorithms with their Time of Flight (ToF) camera. This demo included features like drowsiness detection, distraction monitoring, gesture recognition, and passive safety features such as body classifications and out of position detection, all using the ToF camera’s accurate depth sensing. By combining the 3D output of ToF cameras with our 3D estimation algorithms, we achieved great results, even at VGA resolution, which caught the attention of many visitors.
The single camera solution
Our Lead Deep Learning Engineer, Fabian Windbacher, gave a speech at the event about the current state of in-cabin monitoring. He emphasized the growing need for single camera solutions that capture multiple features at once, driven by regulations, cost-effectiveness, and innovation. Our DOMS solution addresses this need by combining active safety, passive safety, and user experience features into one product.
The single camera solution achieves high feature coverage in a cost-efficient and resource-efficient manner. Besides cost, efficient use of resources and low processing load are other priorities of vehicle manufacturers while considering driver monitoring solutions.
Trends and insights
The talks and discussions at InCabin USA highlighted ToF cameras. Once considered too expensive, they are now emerging again due to their 3D output. It is expected that in the next few years, passive safety features will be included in EuroNCAP standards and required by regulations worldwide. Accurate measurements for the safety of all vehicle occupants will rely heavily on advanced 3D technology. One way of achieving this is through ToF cameras, however similar results may be obtained by 2D cameras as well. In our demo, multiple passive safety use cases are being featured through 3D estimation based on the 2D images.
InCabin USA was a great opportunity to showcase our innovations and engage with industry leaders, reaffirming our commitment to improving automotive safety through advanced driver and occupant monitoring systems. We are excited to continue pioneering solutions that enhance the safety of both drivers and passengers.