Peugeot puts road-ragers on notice

Swiss researchers are working with French car-maker PSA Peugeot Citroen to develop facial expression detection software that could warm or even prevent enraged motorists from doing anything rash while driving.

Using a small infrared camera imbedded in the steering wheel along with the new software, a team of scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) can automatically detect when drivers are angry or disgusted.

The research team asserts the system could improve the safety of all road users, because angry, annoyed and irritated drivers are purportedly less attentive and more aggressive.

According to the EPFL team, the facial recognition system – which captures the seven universal emotions: fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, surprise and suspicion -- is showing good levels of accuracy.

It can detect two emotions, anger and disgust, and has been undergoing testing on office workers at their desks and with drivers behind the wheel of a Peugeot.

The system can also be used to detect fatigue, say its inventors.

In practice, the emotion-detecting system would warn drivers via audio and visual alerts and could potentially stop them abruptly braking/accelerating/steering if they are deemed to be angry or disgusted.

The technology would limit vehicle speed and, if taken a step further, could even immobilise the vehicle if the driver is deemed to be overly emotional.

However, but it’s not yet clear if Peugeot or Citroen plan to use the technology in their cars and the Swiss researchers have conceded the system is a long way from production, particularly given the variance of facial expressions between individuals.

Not everyone grimaces or scowls when angry, for instance, and some people can appear angry even when they’re not. There’s also the argument that some people drive better when they’re angry.

What do you think about this new technology -- could it improve road safety? Leave a comment below.

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