If you drive to work every day like millions of other Americans, you know that it can be stressful. In fact, research has shown that commuting is one of the least enjoyable activities in life and one of the most damaging to our health. Traffic jams, aggressive drivers, slow drivers, fatigue, and a host of other issues can lead to stress, frustration, and anger, along with other issues that can actually affect our physical well-being.
Although some commuters have found ways to combat the stress of commuting by working from home or taking other modes of transportation, which is proven to reduce stress and improve health, it’s not only daily drivers who get worked up behind the wheel. Anyone who ever drives, it seems, can have periods in which the experience is unpleasant, and the result is not only poor health but an increase in accidents. More than 30 percent of all car accidents are caused by acts related to road rage, according to the National Highway Transportation Administration.So, carmakers are working with researchers to find new ways of preventing crashes while also curbing the problem of road rage.
And the answer, it seems, lies in sensors.
How Your Car Can Calm You
Sensor technology in automobiles isn’t really anything new. Most cars built within the last few decades include multiple sensors to help operate and maintain certain systems. With the advent of 16-bit resolution infotainment systems, drivers of newer-model cars can often see how their vehicle’s major systems are functioning at any given point in time.
However, while most cars have become safer and more efficient thanks to sensor technology, there is still one variable in any vehicle: the driver. A vehicle can have every possible safety feature and alert system available, but if the driver is driving aggressively, erratically, or otherwise unsafely for the conditions, the car itself can only do so much to keep you safe.
At least for now, that is. Earlier this year, carmaker Hyundai made waves at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show by revealing its concept for the future, the “Health + Mobility” Cockpit. Designed to help reduce and manage the stress associated with driving, this concept uses sensors to gauge the driver’s well-being and adjust as necessary to ensure a safe and pleasant driving experience.
In this concept, vehicle’s featuring this concept would be equipped with sensors that can measure the driver’s heart rate, respiration, breathing depth, and posture, as well as track their eyes and use facial recognition technology to gauge alertness and attention. Analyzing the data collected in the cockpit, the vehicle can then respond accordingly with small sensory experiences that can either calm or invigorate them as necessary.
For instance, if the car senses that the driver is stressed (tight grip on the wheel, rapid, shallow breathing, rigid posture) the vehicle would respond with a personalized “Mood Burst” designed to be calming. This might include lavender scented aromatherapy delivered via the car’s vents, changes in temperature and lighting, and changing to calming music on the stereo. On the other hand, if the car senses fatigue or distracted driving, it might change the environment to include more upbeat music and a cooler temperature, with a burst of fresh peppermint smell.
The Potential for ‘Calming Cars’
Hyundai’s Health + Mobility Cockpit is just one of the innovations that carmakers are working on to help create a more pleasant and safer driving experience. Other companies are working on innovations that could automatically turn down the music and disable cellphones when vehicle control systems detect aggressive driving, for instance. However, changes in the technology market are changing carmakers’ focus when it comes to these innovations. Ford Motor Company, for instance, was working on health-related technology a few years ago, but the rise of wearable fitness monitors that contained many of the same features led to the project’s cancellation.
And of course, no discussion of sensor-based safety features is complete without mentioning vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Soon, look for cars to come equipped with sensors and Wi-Fi, allowing vehicles to communicate with each other on the road, trigger automatic reactions in the vehicle. So, when you begin driving too fast for the conditions, for instance, your car will alert you to reduce your speed — and provide you with an alternate route that has less traffic.
Sensor-equipped cars might not make commuting a pleasure, and there will always be bad drivers on the road, but they can make the experience of driving a more pleasurable one. Until then, though, just put on some good music, pack a little extra patience, and know that better days are coming.