Intelliseat, an IIT-Madras device to bring down accident rate

According to a report by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH, 2016), more than 40 percent of deaths occur due to human error or driver fatigue. To combat this, the Engineering Design Department of IIT Madras along with Harita Seating Systems Limited (HSSL) has developed a technology-  Intelliseat, a performance monitoring solution, that will detect fatigue in driving and will subsequently warn the person. This, in turn, may help reduce the number of accidents. 

Intelliseat is an IoT (Internet of things) device that monitors the driver 24x7 and is confined to the existing footprint of regular seats.  Once the driver takes the wheel, the censors are calibrated. When a movement in the seating position of the driver is detected, a warning signal is given. When the sensor senses a minor fatigue, the driver is notified with a red signal that will appear on the dashboard. 

When it senses a moderate fatigue, an audio alert is given and if the situation goes out of control and the driver is close to dozing off, a vibration effect will alert the driver to stop.  “These are the prototypes, along with the HSSL, where the seats can be customised based on the need of the client. 

We have tested the technology predominantly in south India and the plan is to test it on other terrains. We have also worked closely with fleet operators who will heavily benefit from this technology,” said Prof Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Department of Engineering Design, adding, “The information can also be communicated to the fleet operator in real-time.  This can help them take necessary action through an app.” 

Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director of the IIT, who was also present during the launch, said, “This is not an easy project and there are many challenges that have to be overcome.” They also plan to use the technology on the highways. 

“This technology can be useful on the highways, for instance, the performance of the drivers can be monitored at the toll plaza where all vehicles stop and the staff present there can take necessary action when he/she finds that driver isn’t in a fit condition to drive,” Professor Venkatesh added.