A Wireless Sensor-Based Driving Assistant for Automobiles

This paper presents a new concept and an experimental validation of a real-time driver assistance system involving multiple sensors and actuators monitoring an area around the vehicle and conveying alerts to the driver. The proposed system, dubbed the driving assistant, detects the presence of obstacles within the monitored area and alerts the driver via a combination of tactile, audio, and visual signals. It features simple ultrasonic sensors installed at the two front corners and the two blind spots of the vehicle. Our design is inexpensive and flexible, which makes it deployable as an add-on to existing vehicles. In particular, the interconnection of modules is achieved via a low-bandwidth low-power wireless link. We explain the rationale behind the driving assistant concept, discuss its performance within the context of human reaction time affecting the safety of vehicle operation, and suggest ways of incorporating such a system into real-life cars.