Driver monitoring system provider Lytx plans to introduce a new technological package aimed detecting and addressing – both in real time and over time – distracted and drowsy driving along with “following-too-close” behaviors.
The new system, called ActiveVision, will be made available for select Lytx DriveCam clients immediately and industry-wide in January 2016, noted Brandon Nixon, the company’s chairman and CEO, in a statement.
“The most sophisticated technology in the cab will always be the human operator,” he said. “So we created a system to augment the natural strengths of the human driver that leverages vast amounts of data, understands what that data means – and what’s important, and how that data can be used to make the roads safer for everyone.”
ActiveVision, which will demonstrated at the 2015 American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia, aims to reduce the costs associated with distract and drowsy driving; behaviors that contribute to 6,000 deaths, 500,000 injuries, and more than $175 billion in economic costs each year, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
Lytx noted that its new ActiveVision systems relies on the combination of three technologies:
- Seamless integration with in-vehicle technology and Lytx DriveCam sensors for an extensive level of data collection;
- Advanced data analytics to form a holistic view of what’s happening on the road;
- Comprehensive coaching including in-cab alerts and prompts, and post-drive coaching to help drivers continuously improve their skills
Lytx added that the ActiveVision service allows for more “sophisticated pattern detection” to help reveal and address otherwise hidden patterns of potentially dangerous driving behaviors – such as lane departures, improper lane positioning, or following too closely – yet places those behaviors within the “environmental context” of current roadway conditions to reduce false alerts.
The company said ActiveVision’s physical component is housed within its fifth-generation ER-SV2 Event Recorder, which collects video feeds from outside and inside the cab, as well as information from technology already in the vehicle, such as the truck’s engine control module (ECU).
The ER-SV2 also includes an light emitting diode [LED] and audible user interface, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity, components such as accelerometer and gyro sensors, and systems to alert lane departure warnings, and headway warnings.
The device also includes a new featured dubbed “AutoTune,” which minimizes the likelihood of false alerts. Thus the system’s pattern recognition algorithms, computer vision and machine learning technologies help create a comprehensive view of what’s happening and how potentially dangerous situations can be mitigated, Lytx said.
