GM's new tech can check driver's mental state; take over car control

If the system detects that the driver's mental state isn't the best, it initiates a number of steps to correct the situation.

According to media reports, General Motors has applied for a patent application for a new system in cars, titled "Vehicle Occupant Mental Wellbeing Assessment & Countermeasure Deployment".

The patent explains how the tech uses a bunch of sensors and modules inside the car to evaluate what's happening. If it detects "an undesirable situation" unfolding, the system will activate countermeasures to prevent them. The tech puts both the driver and the passengers within the purview of the system. It also monitors telemetry like hard braking or acceleration, tailgating, and*horn use and even listens in on conversations inside the cabin.

The description in the patent states that the system assesses "the mental well-being of a driver while driving the vehicle and deploying a countermeasure in response to a mindfulness level of the driver being beyond a desired range." It further mentions that if the system detects the driver is subjected to negative stimuli, which induces stress, then it steps in to monitor the vehicle's actions while also observing the driver via biometric sensors.

If, at any point, the system detects that the driver's mental state isn't the best, it initiates a number of steps to correct the situation. The system starts off easily with alerts asking drivers to "take a deep breath". The second level is calling someone via the hands-free system, and the third level is automatically calling a trained advisor to talk the driver out of the situation.

However, the last proposed step is for the car to activate one or more of the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) to remove the driver from the equation. The patent states that the ADAS is "configured to provide a level of autonomous vehicle control...such that a driver of the vehicle need not be actively involved in controlling one or more driving or other functions of the vehicle."

Having said that though, the tech is still in its patent stages, and whether or not the system would*actually*make it into cars remains to be seen.

Source: Motor1