In-vehicle alertness monitoring for older adults

Alertness monitoring in the context of driving improves safety and saves lives. Computer vision based alertness monitoring is an active area of research. However, the algorithms and datasets that exist for alertness monitoring are primarily aimed at younger adults (18-50 years old). We present a system for in-vehicle alertness monitoring for older adults. Through a design study, we ascertained the variables and parameters that are suitable for older adults traveling independently in Level 5 vehicles. We implemented a prototype traveler monitoring system and evaluated the alertness detection algorithm on ten older adults (70 years and older). We report on the system design and implementation at a level of detail that is suitable for the beginning researcher or practitioner. Our study suggests that dataset development is the foremost challenge for developing alertness monitoring systems targeted at older adults. This study is the first of its kind for a hitherto under-studied population and has implications for future work on algorithm development and system design through participatory methods.