Cars can also identify drunk driving. Technical analysis of the drunk driving monitoring system

From May 1, my country began to implement new regulations on heavy penalties for drunk driving: those who cause serious accidents while drunk driving will be banned from driving for life, and those who drive drunk on the road will be held criminally liable. The automotive industry itself has also never stopped taking the initiative to exercise self-discipline, that is, actively monitoring whether drivers are driving under the influence through in-vehicle electronic systems.

From May 1, my country began to implement new regulations on heavy penalties for drunk driving: regardless of whether a traffic accident has occurred, as long as there is drunk driving, it is a crime and will be punished with detention of less than 6 months. Drunk driving that causes a major accident will result in a lifetime driving ban, and drunk driving on the road will be held criminally liable. The standard for drunk driving: blood alcohol content ≥ 80mg/100ml; the standard for driving after drinking: blood alcohol content ≥ 20mg/100ml, < 80mg/100ml. The reason for such a big penalty regulation is closely related to the wave of opposition to drunk driving around the world, and the automotive industry itself has never stopped the pace of active self-discipline, that is, to actively monitor whether the driver has drunk driving through the on-board electronic system. This issue of NetEase Auto's "Technology Lecture Hall" will talk about this high-tech equipment.

First of all, it is certain that this is not fundamentally different from the detection technology commonly used by traffic police around the world, and its portability and accuracy are even slightly lower. However, unlike the consequences of being caught by traffic police for drunk driving, the most severe punishment for being detected by the on-board drunk driving monitoring system is the inability to start the vehicle.

Secondly, the in-vehicle drunk driving monitoring system is not a particularly high-tech technology. As early as 2007, Volvo proposed such a concept and launched a technology called "Alcoguard". Although this technology has not been popularized due to various reasons, it has created a technological precedent and laid a certain foundation for the subsequent technological development.

Alcoguard drunk driving interlock device This is a fully integrated in-car "alcohol lock" (Alcolock), which uses advanced fuel cell technology, which is derived from the alcohol detection technology used by traffic police. The system consists of three parts, namely a wireless handheld device responsible for measuring alcohol concentration; a charging base installed behind the suspended center console; and a corresponding information display function on the dashboard to inform the driver whether he has passed the alcohol test. It is about the same size and weight as a remote control, and the data can be stored for 30 minutes.

Before starting the car, the driver needs to blow into the handheld device for 5 seconds, the LED light will display the test results, and the wireless signal will transmit the results to the device in the car. If the blood alcohol content is 0-10mg/100mL, the device will light up green and the engine can be started. If it is 10-20mg/100mL, although the engine can be started, the yellow light will light up to issue a driving warning to the driver. When it reaches 20mg/100mL or more, the engine cannot be started.

There are several important reasons why Volvo's Alcoguard technology cannot be popularized. First, the high cost. Even in 2011, four years later, there were still few breakthroughs in the core component fuel cell, and civilian vehicles could not absorb the resulting price increase. Second, the monitoring process is relatively cumbersome, with independent handheld devices, the need for active blowing, and long waiting times, which greatly affect the user experience. Therefore, almost no one will actively purchase this equipment as an optional component.

Even though Alcoguard has exposed many problems, the development of the automotive industry has always been accompanied by potential demand for such systems. Therefore, a vehicle-mounted drunk driving monitoring system with good user experience, non-contact testing, fast testing speed and high integration has become a main focus of major manufacturers.

A research and development organization plan jointly participated by more than ten internationally renowned manufacturers including General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Mazda, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Chrysler, Jaguar, Land Rover and Mitsubishi came into being - DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detecton System for Safety) Driver Alcohol Monitoring Safety System Organization.

This young organization has been established for two years and has proposed and trial-produced many advanced testing equipment prototype technologies, and has been recognized worldwide in many industry technical seminars. At present, the technology is developing in two directions, namely single-finger contact and non-contact breath detection. The so-called single-finger contact method is very simple, similar to a fingerprint collector, which collects enough data and analyzes the alcohol concentration in the blood by pressing the finger on the detection instrument. And the finger can directly contact the instrument, and the test data results are more accurate.

However, how can the driver's finger be directed to the test instrument in a subtle and clever way without affecting the original layout of the vehicle's center console? The technicians found the simplest way, which is to integrate the test instrument with the engine one-button start switch. The test operation is synchronized when the driver presses the start button, which not only takes advantage of the driver's active behavior, but also does not affect the user experience. At the same time, it can make the equipment disappear invisibly and save space.

The only drawback is that this technology can prevent the car from starting when the driver is drunk, but it cannot continuously monitor after starting. Therefore, if the vehicle is started with the finger of a sober person, it is still no different from an ordinary vehicle, and it is impossible to continuously monitor the driver's true condition anytime and anywhere.

The non-contact breath detection method is closer to the natural state and more integrated with the whole vehicle. The non-contact test method avoids the impact on the user experience. Through multiple detectors arranged in the surrounding areas of the driver's seat such as the steering wheel, instrument panel, headrest, etc., the driver's breath samples are collected to determine whether the driver has drunk driving behavior.

One advantage of this system layout is that all test equipment can obtain data in the natural state of the driver, and can collect data in real time and take effect in real time. Therefore, it avoids the weaknesses of the previous single test method, inability to test continuously, and loss of effectiveness once the vehicle is started. This form of testing is recognized as the technology with the greatest potential to be first applied in the new generation of models.

Maybe one day you are driving a new car you just bought, and after drinking, you find that you can’t start the car. Don’t think that the car is broken. In fact, it is silently protecting your safety.