Infrared-Based In-Vehicle Head Tracking: A Prototype for Tracking Drivers' Head Movements in Real Time

Abstract

Future assistance systems in vehicles will require data that indicate the 3D position of the driver's head and eyes in real time. The head tracking is necessary, for example, so that information can be displayed in a contact-analog way, eventually increasing the driver's comfort and safety. For this, a study with 15 participants was conducted to examine typical driver head movements while driving. The study revealed overall only slight vertical and lateral head movements as well as little differing vertical and lateral head positions across different participants. A head tracking method based on these results was developed employing 2D to 3D conversion while using a single thermographic camera. Reducing the system to one camera cuts expenses significantly; however, doing so introduces small errors in the 3D detection. The choice was made in favor of thermal image processing since this allows the images to be treated independently of external light conditions, making the system reliable and suitable for nighttime driving.