April 10, 2023 Notice

Measuring Driver Brain Activity for Accident Prevention Technology Announcing the Usefulness of an Interface to Support Cognitive Processing While Driving

■Outline

ARAYA( CEO, MINATO-KU, TOKYO; PRESIDENT: RYOTA KANAI; HEREINAFTER " ARAYA"), A RESEARCH AND R&D SUPPORT COMPANY FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND NEUROSCIENCE, HAS COLLABORATED WITH HONDA R&D TO DEMONSTRATE A SYSTEM THAT IDENTIFIES AREAS INVOLVED IN SAFE DRIVING BASED ON BRAIN ACTIVITY DURING DRIVING AND USES AI TO PREEMPTIVELY INFORM DRIVERS OF RISK FACTORS. THE RESULTS WERE PRESENTED AT THE 27TH ESV INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE (ESV2023).

■Background

Araya(Minato-ku, Tokyo) applies brain research to industry and develops and provides industry-specific solutions. This time, in collaboration with Honda R&D, the company has verified the effectiveness of a system that measures the brain activity of drivers and warns them of danger based on the findings of the study. With the aging of the population, preventing traffic accidents caused by driver error has become a major social issue. To this end, it is necessary to minimize driver errors. However, the neural mechanisms involved in inappropriate information processing, which is the source of errors, are not well understood, and measuring brain activity while driving has been a technical challenge. In order to investigate the brain mechanisms during driving, we conducted an experiment using a driving simulator compatible with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in collaboration with the Honda R&D Institute, which has been conducting various research on driving, with the National Institute of Quantum Science and Technology (QST) as a support and advisor for the experiment. The experiment was conducted using a driving simulator compatible with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Experimental driving simulator available in fMRI

Experimental driving simulator available in fMRI

■ Experimental Details

We asked participants to operate a driving simulator in fMRI and measured their brain activity and gaze during driving operation. When we extracted differences in brain activity between low-risk drivers (risk-minimum drivers) and general drivers when they encountered risk with respect to safe driving, we found that there was a marked difference in activity in a region called the precuneus. The results, including activity in other brain regions such as premotor cortex and primary visual cortex, suggest that drivers at high risk with respect to safe driving have low spatial awareness, that the risk factor is that they cannot see and predict danger, and that they judge risk based on their experienced memory and knowledge.

Comparison of Motor and Cognitive Behaviors of Risk-Minimal Drivers and Other Drivers

Comparison of Motor and Cognitive Behaviors of Risk-Minimal Drivers and Other Drivers

Differences in brain activity between risk-minimizing drivers and regular drivers

Differences in brain activity between risk-minimizing drivers and regular drivers

BASED ON THIS RESEARCH, HONDA R&D BUILT A HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI) THAT ASSISTS THE DRIVER BY COMPLEMENTING THE COGNITIVE PROCESSING NECESSARY FOR SAFE DRIVING. TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HMI, EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED USING A DRIVING SIMULATOR CONSISTING OF THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND FIVE DISPLAYS THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE HMI IS A HIGH-RISK DRIVER INTERFACE THAT CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT HIGH-RISK DRIVING. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE HMI WAS EFFECTIVE IN EARLY RECOGNITION AND AVOIDANCE OF HIGH-RISK OBJECTS, AND THIS RESEARCH DEMONSTRATED THAT THIS INTERFACE CAN COMPLEMENT AND SUPPORT THE COGNITIVE PROCESSING NECESSARY FOR SAFE DRIVING.

Prototype driving simulator used in the experiment

Prototype driving simulator used in the experiment

This allows ordinary drivers who want to drive safely to use information processing support systems that inspire them to drive safely.

While there is a trend to return driver's licenses due to declining driving ability due to the aging of the population, it has been pointed out that in some cases, cognitive function declines as a result of quitting driving. We will continue to develop this product with the aim of creating a future in which many people can enjoy driving safely.

■ CEOCEO RYOTA KANAI COMMENTS

THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SHOW THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD DRIVERS AND THE AVERAGE PERSON IN WHAT IS CALLED THE PRECUNEUS REGION OF THE BRAIN. MEASURING BRAIN ACTIVITY WHILE DRIVING WAS A MAJOR ISSUE, BUT THROUGH JOINT RESEARCH BY HONDA AND QST, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSEMBLE AN EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEM AND OBTAIN THESE RESULTS. IN CONDUCTING THIS RESEARCH, I EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND THE STRONG COMMITMENT OF HONDA RESEARCHERS AND ENGINEERS TO UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE IN THE CREATION OF PRODUCTS. IT IS RARE TO CONDUCT BRAIN EXPERIMENTS THIS IN-DEPTH FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND I WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED TO LEARN THAT HONDA'S PRODUCTS ARE BORN FROM THIS KIND OF DEEP KNOWLEDGE. I EXPECT THAT HONDA WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH HUMAN UNDERSTANDING TO ACHIEVE SAFE AND ENJOYABLE DRIVING. WE AT ARAYALOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE ON BETTER MANUFACTURING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE BRAIN DOMAIN."

Member of Advanced Technology Research Institute, Honda R&D Co.

Member of Advanced Technology Research Institute, Honda R&D Co.

STARTING WITH THIS PROJECT, ARAYAIS AVAILABLE TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS USING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF AI AND BRAIN RESEARCH. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US.

 

< Araya Company Profile>
Company name: ARAYA Inc.
CEOPresident: Ryota Kanai
Location: Ark Mori Building 24F, 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6024, Japan
URL: https://www.araya.org/

Inquiry URL: https://www.araya.org/contact/

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Araya Inc. Relations: Asai
Home Page :https://www.araya.org/
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