New Facial Recognition Software May Detect Looming Road Rage

cartechboy writes "Well, since we have license plate readers tracking drivers, and GPS breaking down we're you're headed — its probably time for someone to know what mood you're in when you're driving. (Quick hint: often not a good one). Researchers at Switzerland's École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have prototyped a dashboard camera that tracks facial movements and expressions to read a person's emotions while behind the wheel. The team has partnered with PSA Peugeot Citroën to create a version for actual cars to determine when drivers are angry — and have high potential for road rage. One challenge for the technology has been the wide range of expressions drivers have when they're pissed. Some people smile, for example. (Maybe as they raise their middle finger.) The engineers are working on future revs to be able to tell when drivers are fatigued or even just distracted." The detection part sounds interesting; coupled with remote kill-switches that some government agencies want, and ever deeper fly-by-wire technologies, it's sounds downright dystopian, though.

Comments

Prepare for a long commute

[travdaddy]

Kill switches for when drivers get angry? If you thought gridlock was bad now, just wait until 50 angry stalled drivers are in front of you.

Re:Not that much more dystopian...

[TheCarp]

> No, you do not have an inalienable right to act out your aggressions on a publicly-funded highway.

However this doesn't actually look for people acting out, it looks at facial expressions to determine if a person is mad. This may be interesting itself but, I would submit the population of people who get mad while driving is so much larger than those who actually act out their aggression that this is unlikely to be the least bit useful.

This is using the fact that all criminals are found with water in their system as an excuse to monitor people who drink water.

Shut up already.

[LoRdTAW]

The detection part sounds interesting; coupled with remote kill-switches that some government agencies want, and ever deeper fly-by-wire technologies, it's sounds downright dystopian, though.

Jee, hyperbole much? Nowhere in the article is it mentioned that there will be any dystopian government interaction. That was your own shitty opinion piece. Its the same crap the article postulates:

The real question is: when the Swiss team's camera detects anger or disgust, what will it do? Notify the authorities? Apply the car's brakes? Switch the radio to soothing music? Tell knock-knock jokes? What's the appropriate response?

Stop it. Please. Those are some of the most idiotic question ever asked. The car wont do anything as this wont be installed in them. Why not? Simple: there are no answers for any of those silly questions that would avoid a legal minefield.

Examples:
Driver is angry and car detects it. So the car notifies the authorities.
- Authorities don't care enough about some butthurt driver to stop looking for speeders which make the county/city/town money. Besides after the 1000th notification of road rage in the first ten minutes of their highway patrol shift they will just turn the damn computer off.

Driver is angry and car detects it. So the car applies the brakes......
- Causing the driver to lose control or a rear end collision. Car manufacturer is sued into oblivion. Camera recalled.

Driver is angry and car detects it. So the car switches the radio to soothing music....
- Which distracts the driver causing an accident. Or the driver can blame a road rage accident on the sudden blast of Michael Bolton which startled them while enjoying a beautiful morning on the highway in bumper to bumper traffic. Car manufacturer is sued into oblivion. Camera recalled.

Not so serious but:
Driver is angry and car detects it. So the car tells a knock knock joke....
Driver is offended by joke along with a concerned watchdog group. Public outrage ensues. Camera recalled.

What's the appropriate response?
None. People will get angry. Its better to just let them scream or pound the steering wheel and let it out and then have a laugh. If it results in an accident and the drivers anger can be directly linked to the accident then let the courts decide the appropriate punishment.

Re:Not that much more dystopian...

[DaveAtFraud]

Probably they settle for the eye tracking. Sensing distraction and sleepiness would prevent a lot of accidents. The car would alarm the driver or gently park by itself.

Something like that (my emphasis in bold) would make it impossible for most guys to get anywhere in a car in most beach cities. Even worse, I can hear my wife now saying, "Would you keep your eyes on the road! We can't get there if the car parks itself every time some eye candy in a bikini is in view."

Cheers,
Dave