Korean auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis has developed a smart in-car lighting system tuned to a driver’s mood. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Mobis
South Korean auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis said it has developed a sophisticated in-vehicle lighting system attuned to the driver’s mood.
The technology announced Wednesday is designed to sense the driver’s biorhythm, as well as his/her environment to adjust the color, brightness and display of interior lights. Advertisement
For example, the motorist’s heart rate and the number of times he/she blinks is monitored by steering wheel-embedded sensors and in-vehicle cameras to interpret how he/she feels.
Using that information, plus other factors like the weather, the new lighting system generates a total of 32 patterns.
“Let’s say the driver is under stress. Then the light will turn red. If no stress is detected, the light will turn green,” a Hyundai Mobis representative told UPI News Korea.
“There is a lot of research about the relationship between lighting and people’s mood. We worked with various experts to come up with a lighting system that’s tailored to changes in a person’s state,” he said.
The technology includes a sterilization feature that uses ultraviolet-C lights. The system is designed also to warn the driver of dinging another vehicle that is too close by. Advertisement
Hyundai Mobis said the main goal of the “human-centric” system, a technology that is mindful of people’s feelings and their physical conditions, was to improve driver safety.
A unit of Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Mobis is the world’s sixth-largest manufacturer of auto parts.
“Digital healthcare and sensor technologies have improved substantially over the past several years. I’m sure more and more automakers will come to adopt such technologies,” Daelim University automotive Professor Kim Pil-soo said in a phone interview.
“The future automobiles will probably be able to check the health status of drivers whenever they get behind the wheel, and if necessary, even advise them to go to the hospital,” he said.
