Computer vision startup Eyesight Technologies Ltd. announced today that its driver monitoring software can now detect whether drivers are distracted or feeling drowsy, even if they’re wearing a face mask.

The update to its Driver Sense platform is meant to help maintain driver safety at a time when increasing numbers of them are required to wear face masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the company said.

Driver monitoring systems typically work by scanning a driver’s facial features, such as their head pose, eyes, mouth and eyelids, and using the visual data they gather to detect any signs of drowsiness or distraction. But when drivers are required to wear a face mask, the software can’t read these facial features, which means it fails to work as intended.

To counter this, Eyesight Technologies says it has trained its artificial intelligence algorithms to detect the signs that could indicate a driver is distracted or tired, even with a mask on. Moreover, because the system uses infrared cameras, it can also detect these facial expressions in situations where minimal light is available, the company said.

Eyesight Technologies believes its technology will be useful because truck drivers are considered by most countries to be “essential workers,” delivering the supplies necessary to support their populations during the extended lockdowns. And with many countries seeing shop shelves empty faster than usual, truck drivers are increasingly forced to work longer hours, which means drowsiness is likely to become more common.

“Without a concrete end date to the current situation, wearing medical masks may be a reality for the foreseeable future,” Eyesight Technologies Chief Executive Officer David Golub said in a statement. “Eyesight Technologies is forging ahead and adapting to provide a reliable solution to help guarantee safety even under less than ideal circumstances.”

Image: Eyesight