Remote knitted Electrodes for use with electrical potential sensors for automotive driver alertness

The objective of this project is to enhance vehicle safety systems through the creation of an automotive driver heart-rate sensor system that produces data of sufficient quality and consistency that it can be used to monitor driver alertness and well-being. Real time analysis of such data will enable the monitoring system to take early action to prevent a driver from falling asleep at the wheel and in the case of commercial vehicle operations, transmit the data over a wireless network to a control centre for automated monitoring of driver well-being.
Based on a technology acquired from the University of Sussex, Plessey Semiconductors has developed a fully patented Electrical Potential Integrated Circuit (EPIC) Sensor which can measure electrophysiology signals without direct skin contact, skin preparation or conductive gels. Nottingham Trent University has developed a number of material technologies which allow the creation of conductive and non-conductive patches and connections within a piece of knitted fabric. These materials can form part of a remote electrode for the EPIC sensor, and thus provide a unique form factor for enhanced data acquisition and vehicle design. .