Developing a Body Sensor Network to Detect Emotions During Driving

Abstract

Emerging applications using body sensor networks (BSNs) constitute a new trend in car safety. However, the integration of heterogeneous body sensors with vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) poses a challenge, particularly on the detection of human behavioral states that may impair driving. This paper proposes a detector of human emotions, of which tiredness and stress (tension) could be related to traffic accidents. We present an exploratory study demonstrating the feasibility of detecting one emotional state in real time using a BSN. Based on these results, we propose middleware architecture that is able to detect emotions, which can be communicated via the onboard unit of a vehicle with city emergency services, VANETs, and roadside units, aimed at improving the driver's experience and at guaranteeing better security measures for the car driver.