{"id":3455,"date":"2021-12-28T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3455"},"modified":"2021-12-09T16:00:54","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T16:00:54","slug":"newly-developed-sensors-go-under-your-car-seat-and-they-can-tell-if-youre-drunk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/newly-developed-sensors-go-under-your-car-seat-and-they-can-tell-if-youre-drunk\/","title":{"rendered":"Newly-Developed Sensors Go Under Your Car Seat\u2014And They Can Tell If You\u2019re Drunk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A document from the International Transport Forum<\/a> shows that, on average, we lose 1.25 million people each year from road crashes, and they recognize that drunk driving is among one of its chief \u201crisk-increasing factors.\u201d It is thus important for us to recognize and address these concerns, as steps we take now can save the lives of many down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Drunk driving is among one of the major causes of car accidents, which can unfortunately take so many lives in a year. Fortunately for us, scientists are on the case to make sure that these types of accidents become less and less prevalent. (Jin, 2019) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Luckily for us, scientists from Japan\u2019s National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology are on the case, and they\u2019ve figured out a pretty ingenious way of dealing with this unfortunate statistic that takes the lives of thousands each year. Their proposed solution, whose results were published in the journal ACS Applied Electronic Materials<\/em><\/a>, is placing pressure sensors under the driver\u2019s chair, and identifying if the person driving is driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol based on the driver\u2019s movements as they sit on the \u201crigged\u201d chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sensors actually go under both the seat proper and the backrest. The backrest sensor can read a driver\u2019s heart rate and rate of respiration, while a pair of sensors that go under the seat itself can identify where the driver sitting on them is leaning\u2014a sign of the driver dozing off while on the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The three-sensor system was designed to go under car seats, with two under the seat itself and a third under the backrest. The three working in unison are said to be capable of identifying key movements in drivers that may clue in to whether or not they are driving while under the influence of alcohol. (Nagase et al, 2021) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The sensors themselves are made of piezoelectric materials<\/em>, which produce electrical currents when under mechanical stress. (A similar technology was used in prior news surrounding potential \u201cself-powered\u201d hearing aids of the future<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research team made use of a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film prepared directly onto a polyimide<\/em> surface, which was then screen-printed on with a silver (Ag) paste on both sides. This entire assembly would function as the piezoelectric component of the sensor, and was mounted onto the sensor setup while sandwiching a cable within it that can detect electrical currents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pressure readings these sensors receive, which are expected to be sourced from any driver that may sit on a seat that contains them, are gathered from current readings from the piezoelectric components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Future research from the team involves field tests of their novel technology with an actual car, followed by actual road tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n