Truck driving is an exhausting job that needs constant attention to the road. Falling asleep during long stretches is an occasional — and sometimes lethal — concern. that is why Ford helped develop the SafeCap, a hat that senses head movements associated with sleepiness and wakes the driver up with sound, light and vibration.
To help celebrate sixty years of manufacturing trucks in Brazil, Ford partnered with the Sao Paulo-based inventive agency GTB to make the cap. They researched and mapped head motions, differentiating those made while driving (checking the instrument panel, looking in mirrors) from those created while getting drowsy. The hat has an inboard accelerometer and gyroscope that measure head movements throughout the drive along with parts that vibrate, make sound light up. Agency employees explain the design within the video below (in Portuguese):
Obviously, the SafeCap is a nice brand promotion to show Ford as company that cares (well, enough to create a prototype). but as fast Company points out, the auto maker introduced a baby-rocking car seat concept earlier this year in Spain that got enough hype that Ford made it an option for car buyers. there is no word on once (or if) the SafeCap would be mass-produced, but Ford’s head of sales in Brazil said their “goal is to share with alternative countries” after tests.
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source:engadget.com
