Comparison of Cool and Warm Thermal Stimulations to Reduce Driver's Drowsiness

Abstract

Approximately 50% all accidents are due to carelessness. One reason for these carelessness-related accidents is a temporary decrease in the arousal level due to fatigue or mental saturation after a long period of driving. In particular, a high proportion of accidents on national expressways result in death; hence, fatigue-related accidents involving large vehicles are a serious social concern. Therefore, a quantitative understanding of the physiological and psychological conditions experienced by drivers comprises an important topic in light of preventative safety and accident prevention. The purpose of this study was to develop an autonomic nervous activity-dependent system to inhibit driver drowsiness. We tested this system through several experiments. This study sought to examine the influence of two thermal skin stimulations (cold and warm stimulations) on drowsiness. The experimental results revealed physiological differences in terms of autonomic nervous system activity. The findings suggest that our method for controlling drowsiness is efficient.