Game-changer for driver safety: smart T-shirt from Liberec can detect micro-sleep
At the Technical University of Liberec, a T-shirt has been developed with the ability to identify micro-sleep thanks to sensors in the fabric that detect slow breathing. With a connected alarm system in place, the innovation aims to combat the effects of driver fatigue, which causes up to one fifth of all road accidents according to experts.
Author of the breakthrough garment is Michal Martinka from the University’s Department of Clothing Technology. After four years of working on the product, he is confident in the technology’s dependability:
“The system works reliably. We are able to detect exactly when a person begins to get fatigued, even if they do not yet realize it themselves. Now it’s just a question of perfecting it. We are working on making the T-shirt as comfortable as possible, so that the person does not feel the sensors,” he says.
The sensors on the T-shirt monitor changes in the person’s breathing rate, altering their electrical resistance depending on the movement of the chest and belly. A well-rested person breathes in a regular pattern, whereas during fatigue or sleep, breathing becomes shallow and irregular. According to Martinka, this distinction is fault-proof:
“Our sensors never fail to detect early signs of fatigue. After a series of experiments, we have reached a stage where we can predict the onset of drowsiness even before fatigue fully sets in. Thanks to this, we can warn drivers in time,” he explains.
Last year, “fatigue or micro-sleep” was at the root of 1,703 accidents on Czech roads, 10 of which fatal, and caused just short of 370 million crowns in physical damage, according to police records. Some car manufacturers have tried to combat the issue with built-in mechanisms, but to little avail, in Martinka’s experience:
“Even a new car did not alert me. Sensors stayed silent, and said I was perfectly fine. That was the moment I realized something more accurate is needed,” he recounts.
After probing the measurement of various indicators, such as pulse, body temperature, or cardiac cycles, changes in breathing frequencies proved the most accurate. In testing the product, Martinka worked together with a research team at Shinshu University in Japan – one of the world’s leading institutions for textile science.
As of now, most trials have been conducted on driving simulators and video games. In August, a trial is scheduled in the Japanese prefecture of Nagano, to give the product its first test run in real-life traffic.
“The test will happen at night, when the traffic is light, and with police supervision. There will also be a person next to the driver, who will be able to intervene if needed,” Martinka clarifies.
If testing yields positive results, he hopes to secure a final prototype and a manufacturing contract. The T-shirt could be on the market within two to three years, and the researcher has high hopes that the product will catch on:
“I believe there will be demand for the T-shirt not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. The Japanese themselves have shown great interest already. Although our garment is primarily intended for professional drivers, it can also be useful in other sectors where there is extreme physical strain.”
