A “wearable early warning fatigue detector for drivers” they tell me. Hmmm. Now, cast your mind back (quite a number) of years and you may have seen David Hasselhoff driving around in a car that could talk and drive itself. If Michael Knight (aka the Hoff) got tired, KITT (the car) would chip in and say, “Michael, Michael? Are you alright? You seem to be tired?” Instantly the car would switch to “auto-cruise” and possible disaster would be avoided.
Fast-forward a few years and we’ve (pretty much almost) got cars that’ll drive themselves, but sadly we still have people falling asleep and crashing into stuff.
Yes, I know that first paragraph has consumed most of your attention. Everyone seems to want everything spoon fed to them in nice 30 second chunks or tweets so that they don’t spend time working out things for themselves, so I’ll try and keep this next bit quite short. A company called MPECCA (no, me neither) have invented this band thing that you strap to your head before setting off on your journey. They sent us some pictures, but what they seem to have done here is drawn (badly) a band of some sort on a stock image of a bloke driving.
That’s a terrible shot. I could do better with Microsoft Paint. Look. I zoomed in a bit…
…I digress.
This band will detect and monitor your brainwaves (yes, I really did say brainwaves) and will communicate with your Android or iPhone device to wake you up a good 3-5 minutes before you fall asleep, crashing into a stack of water-filled barrels like they do in the movies.
It is, apparently, 90% accurate and the app looks a bit like this..
Wait, wait. I know what you’re saying to the screen at the moment..
“But Leigh, do they really expect me to charge this up ahead of time, download the app, get in my car, put it on and THEN sync it up just to make sure I don’t nod off when I’m driving home?”
Absolutely. That’s what they want you to. Do NOT use your own common sense to determine if you’re too tired to drive before heading off, perhaps getting extra sleep or stopping for a coffee. Get this instead.
Oh, OK. If you were to push me I can see the safety aspect in some respects, perhaps for employers to keep insurers happy as the over-worked fork-lift driver works 18 hours straight with little or no sleep because, “we’ve got to hit our figures dammit”.
If you want one, expect to pay $249,99 from May. Get more details on impecca.com.
MPECCA INTRODUCES THE ALERT BAND AT CES:
Wearable Early Warning Fatigue Detector for Drivers —
Saves Lives
Comfortable, Lightweight Bluetooth Device Monitors Driver’s Brainwaves to Detect Fatigue with Real-Time Alerts Sent to Androids or iPhones to Wake Up Driver 3-5 Minutes Before Falling Asleep – 90% Accurate
National Highway Safety Administration Estimates Driver Fatigue Contributes to 100,000 Accidents, 1,550 Deaths, 71,000 Injuries & $1.25 Billion in Losses Annually in U.S.
January 2, 2015, NY, NY — ImpeccaTM www.impecca.com, a leader of impeccably designed audio, video, digital photo, computer peripherals, and kitchen and home appliances, announced today The Alert Band, a wearable early warning Bluetooth fatigue detector band that attaches to the driver’s forehead to sense fatigue and help prevent accidents. The Alert Band monitors and analyzes brainwaves, sending real-time notifications and alarms to the driver’s smartphone, family and friends, as well as social networks, 3-5 minutes before the driver begins to doze off and fall asleep. The notification and alarm are intended to wake him/her up and are designed to save lives.
The Alert Band uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology to connect to the driver’s iOS or Android smartphone, transferring raw data collected by The Alert Band’s forehead sensors and transmitting the data to its app on the smartphone. The Alert Band features a smartphone App that uses a numbering system, from 0 to 100 to indicate the user’s fatigue level, sending out an alert when the driver’s fatigue level is too high. 0 indicates fully awake and 100 means you should not be driving, a score of 80 or higher is considered dangerous – and the driver should stop driving and take a rest immediately.
Essential for All Drivers: Truck, Taxi, Subway & Bus, Pilots, Sales People, Vacationers, Commuters, & People with Sleep Deficiencies
User-friendly, Light-weight and comfortable for long periods of use, The Alert Band fatigue detector is essential for all long distance drivers, including truck, taxi, subway, and bus drivers, sales people, vacationers, commuters, and anyone else that operates a vehicle, boat, or plane for long periods of time, including pilots, boaters, and people who have sleep-deficiency related problems, such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
Your Guardian on the Road — Impecca Conducted Years of Testing — Over 90% Accuracy
According to The National Highway Safety Administration, annually in the U.S., driver fatigue contributes to 100,000 accidents, 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $1.25 Billion in financial losses. The Alert Band developer experienced these statistics first hand. He created The Alert Band after a friend was severely injured in a car accident when the driver who hit him fell asleep behind the wheel. He decided to create a device that alerts drivers in advance when they’re experiencing fatigue. It also alerts the driver’s family or friends to call or talk to him/her to help stay awake. The device was created by conducting years of testing with hundreds of participants using a simulator for an over 90% accuracy rate. Through EEG brain scanning testing, Impecca saw that the area in charge of fatigue is located in the forehead, so they created a user-friendly thin forehead device that, unlike most unwieldy EEG units, easily attaches to the forehead and is easy to use and comfortable to wear for long periods.
The Alert Band Key Features:
Wearable fatigue detector monitors driver’s alertness.
Sends real-time alerts and notifications.
Light-weight, easily attaches to forehead.
Comfortable to wear for long periods.
Made of safe materials.
User-friendly.
Uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology to connect to Android or iOS smartphones.
Includes App which provides a score of 0 (fully awake) to 100 (don’t drive). 80 is considered dangerous, take a rest or stop driving immediately.
Includes long-lasting rechargeable 20 hour battery.
Years of testing with hundreds of participants on a simulator.
Over 90% accurate.
The Alert Band will be available May 2015 through major retailers, Impecca.com, and online, priced at $249.99. For more information, see the website www.impecca.com.
