Feeling sleepy behind the wheel? A new artificial intelligence (AI)-based system developed by Mahatma Gandhi University can detect driver fatigue in real time and send alerts immediately to avoid accidents.
The university has now been awarded a patent by the Indian government for the innovation. The system, called the “Drowsiness Detection System”, was developed by Pushpalatha KP, Vineeth Vijayan and a research fellow, all from the School of Computer Sciences.
According to the researchers, the mechanism aims to address driver fatigue, which is one of the biggest challenges in road safety. Using a metric learning architecture, it analyzes subtle visual cues such as changes in facial expressions and eye movements to detect the earliest signs of sleepiness.
“The system works in real time and issues warnings within milliseconds to alert the driver before fatigue becomes dangerous. Advanced artificial intelligence technologies also help reduce false alarms and improve accuracy. The invention has great potential for real-world testing in a variety of driving conditions,” they explained.
Adaptive module
The next step in the project is the development of an adaptive module that strengthens the interaction between the driver and the vehicle. This will allow the system to adjust its responses depending on the driver’s condition and the surrounding environment, transforming drowsiness detection from a simple warning to a smart, proactive accident prevention tool.
The technical excellence of the system has been verified by comparison with many international patents, including those from the United States. It has also received seed funding from Research Innovation Network Kerala (RINK) under the Kerala Startup Mission due to its social relevance.
Published – 01 Jan 2026 19:48 IST
