<b>Basic Study on Assessment of the Driver's Condition Based on Physiological Indices</b>

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify situations where a driver is unable to perform tasks properly because of psychological stress, etc., and devise means to help them. Basic research began with the aim of developing a technology to gauge the mental state of without relying on subjective evaluation of drivers, such as physiological indices and behavioral data. A system that can measure various physiological and behavioral data including electroencephalograms (EEG) was constructed. As a result of experimenting with the system, it was found that the occurrence and recovery of psychological sway appeared in physiological changes such as EEG and pupil diameter.

Measurement and Evaluation of Brain Activity for Train Drivers Using Wearable NIRS

“…Nakagawa et al assessed the brain activity of drivers when they were shown an obstacle on the tracks in a train driving simulator using a 128-channel high-density EEG [4]. Similarly, in this study we showed participants an obstacle on the tracks and examined whether brain activity while driving could be evaluated from the cerebral blood flow.…”

“…Lohani et al provides a selective review of the psychophysiological measures that can be utilized to assess cognitive states in real-world driving environments [3]. Brain activity of train driver was measured using a 128-channel high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) while participants drove in a train driving simulator [4]. Kojima et al analyzed the characteristics of brain activity measured in the prefrontal area with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) [5,6].…”

<b>Recent Topics on Human Science for Railways</b>

“…Responding to accidents and disasters in increasingly unexpected circumstances, places enormous pressure on railway employees which is a likely source of human error. Therefore, work is being carried out to develop education/ training and support systems to improve the ability of staff to cope with these abnormal situations [12]. Other research is devoted to examining vehicle requirements to improve collision safety in emergencies, to reduce injury to passengers and crew [13], and to improve evacuation guidance for passengers.…”

<b>Recent Topics on Human Science for Railways</b>

“…RTRI is investigating a system to assess the physical and mental state of drivers whilst driving to detect and raise an alert if something abnormal occurs, as a measure to ensure that any unusual physical or mental state does not result in a human error and subsequent accidents. This section describes the research into and development of a "Driver Drowsiness Detection System Using Facial Images [10] " and "Monitoring Method for Physical and Mental States of Drivers Using Physiological Indices [11]." RTRI is considering the application of the "drowsy" detection system to the railways, which has already been commercialized in the automotive field.…”