drivebuddyAI Secures Patent for Facial Recognition System 

Ahmedabad-based AI mobility technology company drivebuddyAI has received a patent for a facial recognition system designed to identify drivers inside moving commercial vehicles and track their driving hours.

The system uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to recognise drivers in dynamic in-vehicle environments, including during long-haul journeys where lighting conditions and driver appearance may vary. The technology is intended to help fleet operators verify driver identity and monitor compliance with duty-hour regulations.

According to the company, identifying drivers inside a moving vehicle can be challenging due to factors such as changing lighting conditions and variations in appearance, including the use of accessories like caps or mufflers, or facial hair. The patented system aims to maintain consistent recognition despite these changes.

The technology is designed as an alternative to key-based driver identification methods, which fleet operators say can be inaccurate. By using camera-based recognition, the system enables fleets to track which driver is operating a vehicle at a given time and monitor the duration of driving shifts.

The company said driver identification is linked to several operational factors for logistics companies, including wage calculation, adherence to maximum driving-hour limits, prevention of unauthorised drivers operating vehicles, and fatigue management.

The facial recognition capability is also integrated into several other applications in the company’s product suite. These include driver profiling and a scoring system called CARDs, dynamic language alerts based on driver identity, driver coaching insights, and monitoring of driver behaviour and performance.

The company said the technology also enables real-time tracking of driving time and duty hours, which could support compliance as India considers stricter enforcement of regulations governing commercial driver working hours and mandatory rest periods.

Nisarg Pandya, CEO of drivebuddyAI, said the system allows fleets to identify who is driving, how long they have been driving, and under what conditions, which can help enforce safe driving limits and improve driver training.

The company said the new patent adds to its intellectual property portfolio of more than 15 patents related to AI vision, edge processing and driver risk assessment technologies.

In addition, the company’s systems have been validated under India’s AIS-184 driver monitoring standard and are compliant with the European Union’s General Safety Regulation (GSR) 2144 and the 2026 protocol of the European New Car Assessment Programme.

drivebuddyAI is headquartered in Ahmedabad and develops advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and driver monitoring systems (DMS) for commercial fleets, vehicle manufacturers and Tier-1 suppliers. The company operates in sectors including e-commerce logistics, hazardous material transport and employee mobility services.

The company is part of Roadzen Inc., an AI-focused technology firm listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker RDZN, which focuses on applications of artificial intelligence in the automotive and insurance sectors.