Neuroscience is becoming a bigger phenomenon and no other country than South Korea is pulling that stunt.
In the province of Gyeonggi, authorities are trialling an alert system that monitors bus drivers’ brainwaves in order to reduce accidents and take safety to the next level.
The sensors are developed by Hyundai Mobis and will be placed beside drivers’ ears from where the device will be able to analyze their focus, fatigue, and stress levels in real-time.
Drivers will also receive visual, auditory, and tactile alerts if they’re deemed to be driving carelessly or are drowsy.
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The Bus Policy Division Manager Chang-hee Cho told media outlet Cities Today that “For the first pilot operation, we will only test drivers who volunteer to participate.
“After this, we will conduct a survey of bus drivers who participated in the test and hear diverse voices from experts and those involved to decide whether to make further expansions.”
About 20 bus drivers on public buses in Gyeonggi will participate in the exercise which is expected to run until the end of the year.
The provincial authorities have been making campaigns about the safer public bus which are meant to eliminate driver stress and drowsiness and also the number of accidents involving buses.
With the technology, drivers will be alerted via multiple channels such as LEDs located around their seats, they’ll get smartphone notifications and their seat will also vibrate.
When asked if beeping noises and alerts on smartphones could prove even more distracting for drivers, Cho said the trial will be regularly reviewed and amended if necessary.
“Hyundai Mobis has studied related research papers to develop and test the device. They will adjust and fix it if they discover any problems including possible obstacles to the drivers during the pilot operation.
“Accidents occur many times because of drivers’ drowsiness, stress, or careless driving when they are behind the wheel.”
“This ear-set sensor will help reduce the possibility of accidents if the driver is stressed or tired, and contribute to making driving safer.”
The Safer Public Bus campaign also includes the creation of rest areas for bus drivers, reorganization of long-distance bus routes, as well as strengthening of operator compliance with legally guaranteed working hours and break times.
The trial will initially run on buses operating between the provincial capital Suwon and Seoul and may be extended in as much as the outcome is positive.
