Written by / Zhu Lin
Edit/Windsor
Design / Zhao Haoran
Source/ Autonews, by JOHN IRWIN
In the coming years, some major automotive suppliers will not only launch new driver assistance systems, they will also deploy health technologies to detect the new crown virus, warn of signs of heart attack, and purify the air inside the car.
"Our technology will make mobility cleaner, safer and smarter." Christophe Perillat, Valeo's deputy chief executive, said at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, "Naturally, they will find their way into other areas, not just our traditional automotive business." ”
Suppliers, including Valeo and Mitsubishi Electric, have found that many of the technologies they are developing for advanced driver assistance systems can also provide some health benefits.
COVID-19 detection terminal
Take Valeo, for example. At CES, it showcased a COVID-19 symptom detection terminal. The supplier says it can determine if a person is infected with the virus without contact with a person, all of which can be done in two minutes with the same accuracy as nucleic acid testing.
The monitoring system uses the same technology as the driver monitoring technology in advanced driver assistance systems, which monitors the driver's face and issues a warning if the driver has signs of attention straying from the road. Valeo said the technology uses radar, cameras and artificial intelligence to look for signs of COVID-19.
Valeo said it developed the system "in collaboration with WHO," using clinical trials from a number of research institutions from countries such as Belgium, Egypt, France, India, Morocco, Thailand and Tunisia.
Valeo, the world's tenth-largest automotive supplier, said it would eventually offer a "miniaturized" version of the terminal that would be able to monitor vital organs at a distance and could make patient management in hospital emergency rooms "easier."
"This system ... It's a natural extension of all the technologies we're improving, in a way that transforms the car into a health protective cocoon. Parillath said.
As the highly contagious Americon variant continues to spread, Valeo showcased the COVID-19 detection system at CES through a virtual launch.
Driver health monitoring
Valeo isn't the only automotive supplier demonstrating health monitoring systems. Mitsubishi Electric also disclosed an advanced driver assistance system that is also disclosed at CES that it is said to monitor the health of drivers and passengers on the vehicle.
The supplier says near-infrared cameras and radio-wave sensors in its surveillance system can detect whether drivers are tired or sick by using facial expressions or detecting the driver's pulse and breathing.
Mitsubishi Electric said it would sound an alarm if the system detected a driver dozing off or had a medical condition, such as a heart attack, stroke or convulsions. If the driver does not respond, it contacts the support center and causes the vehicle to stop on the shoulder of the road.
"Over time, it can tell if the person is normal, sick, heart attacked, and can be adjusted according to the situation." Mark Rakoski said. He is senior vice president of engineering at Mitsubishi Electric North America.
After a period of time, the system was able to send their health information to family doctors or other medical institutions with the permission of drivers and passengers, Lakowski said. It can also be used to determine whether drivers and passengers are comfortable in the car, adjusting through the infotainment system to change the lighting or play music.
air purifier
Meanwhile, Valeo and Japanese supplier Magneti Marelli both received CES innovation awards for their air purification systems.
Valeo said its ultraviolet air purification system is capable of removing 95 percent of the virus from public transportation, including the coronavirus. The supplier says more than 2,000 buses around the world are equipped with its air purifiers.
Magneti Marelli won an award for its IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) purification system, which uses UV-A and UV-C ultraviolet light to kill "virus-causing particles" in 15 minutes with an efficiency of more than 99%.
The supplier said it has developed many different versions of the system, capable of being installed in the vehicle's air conditioning system, or on dashboards, mirrors or elsewhere, capable of being powered using a USB charger or cigarette lighter socket. According to a press release, Magneti Marelli also plans to sell an interior device through furniture manufacturers and distributors.
"With this technology, we're expanding our focus beyond the traditional automotive market to develop an innovative solution that creates safer spaces for everyone, whether at home or in the office." Bharat Vennapusa, Marelli's executive vice president of global operations, said.
"The possibilities these offer to the IAQ are very exciting, and this recognition is a testament to the fact that our efforts in advanced engineering are paying off."