We tested Harman's Ready Care technology that helps you drive smarter and safer

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Rapid advances have been made in safety technology and some car manufacturers now envision an accident-free future. While that remains a distant dream, new technologies have the potential to save thousands of lives every year.

With that in mind, we recently got into a BMW equipped with Harman’s Ready Care technology at the North American International Auto Show. While the vehicle didn’t look too remarkable from the outside, inside it’s easy to see that it’s special.

In addition to a camera mounted on top of the instrument panel, the model was equipped with a removable tablet on which Ready Care data is displayed. The crossover we drove was mainly focused on showcasing the company’s Eyes and Mind on Road technology, which monitors drivers by looking at their facial expressions, gaze and eyelid movements, among other things.

Also read: Harman’s Ready Care technology can see when you’re distracted or stressed and react accordingly

While driver-monitoring cameras are becoming relatively common in vehicles equipped with semi-autonomous driving systems, they mainly focus on the driver’s gaze to ensure that he is aware of the road ahead. Harman’s system is much more nuanced and this allows for additional capabilities, the largest of which is a “Cognitive distraction” feature.

Using data from the camera, advanced algorithms can determine whether drivers are drowsy or distracted and react accordingly. While these responses may vary, in theory the system could increase cabin temperature and audio volume to keep drivers awake and focused when tired.

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Likewise, when drivers are distracted, the system can lower the audio volume or prompt them to pay attention to the road ahead.

Be still my beating heart

One of the most interesting features is the heart rate measurement via the camera. This is made possible by remote photoplethysmography (try saying that three times fast) or rPPG for short, and Harman officials told us it’s very accurate and should improve even further over time.

Heart rate monitoring opens a series of new doors to safety, and it could potentially detect cardiac events before they happen. As we reported earlier this year, a University of Michigan Medical School team was able to “isolate patterns that can accurately predict arrhythmias about five minutes in advance — long enough to alert drivers to the need to stop and call for help.” get or send a medical team to help.”

Combining these advances with semi-autonomous driving technology and telematics can enable truly revolutionary advances in safety. In particular, if a heart condition is detected in the future, it could cause the vehicle to pull over to the side of the road and automatically call emergency services. This would not only prevent a driver from becoming incapacitated behind the wheel, but also reduce reaction time.

At a more basic level, the system could theoretically provide driver information to first responders after an accident. This allows them to assess the seriousness of the accident and the driver’s condition, even before they arrive at the scene.

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While that looks a bit into the future, Ready Care offers a number of benefits to car manufacturers in addition to improved safety. Key among them is a minimalistic sensor suite that keeps costs down while allowing easier integration into vehicles.

Harman said Ready Care is ready to use and can be used in vehicles with and without semi-autonomous driving technology. As a result, we may see the technology appearing in production vehicles soon and it can’t come soon enough, as the company noted that “drowsiness and driver distraction are the leading cause of accidents and fatalities.”