Mitsubishi unveils concept car with new ADAS features, passenger monitoring

Mitsubishi Electric has announced it will be revealing a new concept car, the EMIRAI xS Drive, at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Jan. 5-8. The vehicle is equipped with near-infrared cameras and radio-wave sensors to monitor the driver and passengers and an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) to provide adaptive control of the headlights.

The system uses an onboard near-infrared camera to detect driver drowsiness or sudden sickness based on facial expressions (closed eyes, open mouth, etc.) and other body information, including pulse and respiration rates. Face-tracking and image-processing technology detect slight variations in skin tone due to changes in heartbeat, even in the presence of vehicle vibrations or changes in ambient light. If abnormal physical conditions are detected, the system is capable of suggesting that the driver stop to rest or can even activate an automated emergency-parking function to prevent possible accidents.

The system also uses the near-infrared camera to detect the presence of occupants and uses the position of a passenger's face and the skeletal points of their upper body to accurately determine body size. Radio waves from a sensor are processed using the signals' reflective and transmissive properties to detect the presence of children in the near-infrared camera's blind spots, such as wrapped in a blanket or down in the footwell. If a child is left behind in the vehicle, the system notifies the driver and others nearby.

The concept car also supports safer driving at night by controlling headlights adaptively with internal/external sensors, the company says.

"Mitsubishi Electric's High-Definition Locator (HDL) and Driver Monitoring System (DMS) enable headlight control to adapt the curve and slope of the road ahead and the driver's direction of view," the company said in a release. "Areas where the driver is looking, and also potentially dangerous hazards, are brightly illuminated to support safer driving at night."

Additionally, the vehicle's external cameras and millimeter-wave radar issue warnings via 3D sound and road projection, which enables the driver to recognize potential hazards ahead as well as approaching vehicles from behind without having to look.

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