Gaze Fixation System for the Evaluation of Driver Distractions Induced by IVIS

• Published in: IEEE transactions on intelligent transportation systems 2012-09, Vol.13 (3), p.1167-1178
• Main Authors: Jiménez, Pedro, Bergasa, Luis M., Nuevo, Jesús, Hernández, Noelia, Daza, Ivan G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithm design and analysis; Cameras; Distraction monitoring; driver; Estimation; Face; gaze fixation; in-vehicle information systems (IVISs); inattention; Information systems; Monitoring; naturalistic simulator; percent road center (PRC); Road safety
• ISSN: 1524-9050; 1558-0016
• DOI: 10.1109/TITS.2012.2187517

We present a method to monitor driver distraction based on a stereo camera to estimate the face pose and gaze of a driver in real time. A coarse eye direction is composed of face pose estimation to obtain the gaze and driver's fixation area in the scene, which is a parameter that gives much information about the distraction pattern of the driver. The system does not require any subject-specific calibration; it is robust to fast and wide head rotations and works under low-lighting conditions. The system provides some consistent statistics, which help psychologists to assess the driver distraction patterns under influence of different in-vehicle information systems (IVISs). These statistics are objective, as the drivers are not required to report their own distraction states. The proposed gaze fixation system has been tested on a set of challenging driving experiments directed by a team of psychologists in a naturalistic driving simulator. This simulator mimics conditions present in real driving, including weather changes, maneuvering, and distractions due to IVISs. Professional drivers participated in the tests.