Autoliv partners Seeing Machines to develop driver monitoring systems for autonomous cars

Autoliv, the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, is to collaborate with Seeing Machines, an Australia-headquartered company engaged in computer vision-based human sensing technologies, to develop next-generation driver monitoring systems (DMS) for autonomous vehicles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the United States 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured, in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015 alone. The American Automobile Association also states that 21% of crashes in which a person was killed involved a drowsy driver.

Autoliv and Seeing Machines have started to collaborate to address this issue by developing a state-of-the-art DMS that can detect distracted and drowsy drivers by accurately measuring eye and head position, driver attention and fatigue. The DMS will invoke action when a dangerous situation is detected or imminent.

Reliable understanding of driver state will also enable Autoliv development of technologies critical for supporting highly autonomous driving functions, with safe hands-off-wheel operation. Within the collaboration, Autoliv will serve as the Tier 1 supplier to automotive OEMs to produce the driver monitoring systems for future awarded business.

"Autoliv and Seeing Machines have teamed up to reduce distracted driver accidents," says Johan Löfvenholm, president, Autoliv Electronics. "We both share a passion for saving more lives, and together, we will create one of the most advanced driver monitoring systems in the world."

“The collaboration between Seeing Machines and Autoliv is an excellent fit within our expanding partnership ecosystem,” added Mike McAuliffe, CEO of Seeing Machines. “Both companies are technical leaders deeply committed to advancing safer driving through the development and deployment of our advanced DMS technologies for Automotive OEMs”.

Seeing Machines is an industry leader in computer vision-based technologies which enable machines to see, understand and assist people. With more than 17 years of deep domain experience, Seeing Machines deploys its proprietary computer vision platform to deliver precision tracking and analysis of heads, faces and eyes. A primary application is Automotive Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) to detect and help deal with drowsiness, distraction and other cognitive states which is key to the adoption of ADAS and autonomous driving as well as its pioneering Guardian Fleet safety product.

Seeing Machines' technology has been adopted by global industry leaders across the market spectrum. Seeing Machines is headquartered in Canberra, Australia and currently has offices and people in Melbourne, Tucson, Silicon Valley, Detroit and the UK.