wearable devices & distracted driving - panasonic …...wearable devices & distracted...

5
Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving How vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements and 3 key connectivity terms you need to know

Upload: others

Post on 20-Jul-2020

5 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving - Panasonic …...Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving How vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements and 3 key connectivity

Wearable Devices & Distracted DrivingHow vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements

and 3 key connectivity terms you need to know

Page 2: Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving - Panasonic …...Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving How vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements and 3 key connectivity

According to a recent survey by Pew Research Center, 96% of U.S. adults now own a cell phone of some kind. This widespread ownership has sparked a growing awareness about the dangers of distracted driving related to cell phone use; in fact, nearly every state has imposed some level of restriction on cell phone usage while operating a vehicle.

Less widely understood is the impact of wearable devices, such as smart watches or fitness trackers, on distracted driving. According to a recent Panasonic consumer survey, 72% of wearable device owners wear their device every day, and almost half (47%) never turn off their notifications. Perhaps most concerningly, approximately 55% of wearable owners reported that they look at notifications on their device while driving.

Are smart watches more dangerous than cell phones?Many of today’s wearable devices function similarly to mobile phones; for example, both the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch feature independent calling and texting. Yet, while these devices could be considered “hands free,” there is concern that they might actually be more distracting to drivers than cell phones.

› WEARABLE DEVICES & DISTRACTED DRIVING | 1

First, a smart watch often demands a higher glance time than a traditional cell phone screen due the smaller display. Research carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham, UK, found that a driver reading a message on a smart watch takes 2.52 seconds to react to an emergency, compared to 1.85 seconds on a handheld phone. This may not seem like much time – but for a car going 65mph on a highway, this extra 0.67 seconds of distraction equates to nearly 64 extra feet traveled before the driver reacts.

The design of a wearable device can pose a risk to drivers as well. Smart watches, for example, are positioned on the wrist, directly within a driver’s line of sight, and vibrate to alert the user of a notification. This combination of visual proximity and haptic feedback on the skin makes those alerts much harder to ignore, especially when compared to a cell phone stored in a pocket or purse.

Furthermore, while traditional cell phones can often be operated with one hand, a smart watch generally requires both hands – one to wear the device, and one to operate it. In other words, a driver who receives a smart watch notification may take a hand off the wheel to read it and then use the other hand to respond, thereby creating a serious safety hazard.

Finally, although nearly all states have laws against distracted driving, there are none that explicitly prohibit the use of smart watches or similar wearable devices. Some legal experts argue that general distracted driving laws are broad enough to apply to any activity that impairs a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle, including interactions with a wearable device. But without a specific ban in place, the question of whether an activity might be considered a “distraction” is open to interpretation. Indeed, when Georgia enacted a new law requiring drivers to use hands-free technology to operate cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explaining the law asserted that “wearing and using a smart watch” was still considered legal.

Page 3: Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving - Panasonic …...Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving How vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements and 3 key connectivity

› WEARABLE DEVICES & DISTRACTED DRIVING | 2

The wearable connectivity solutionApplied correctly, technology can help reduce distracted driving without sacrificing a driver’s comfort or convenience. Based on Panasonic’s consumer survey, approximately 40% of wearable device owners are interested in technology that disables notifications while driving. Another 26% indicated that they might be interested but would need further explanation about the feature to decide.

In response to the growing prevalence of wearable devices, Panasonic Automotive has developed a wearable connectivity solution that can be incorporated into vehicles to help reduce distracted driving.

This solution centers on a steering wheel switch that uses a short-range communication protocol – such as Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) – to exchange data with nearby wearable devices.

This solution enables the vehicle to sense a wearable device on the driver’s wrist, based on proximity to the steering wheel, and disable notifications, based on vehicle speed received from the instrument cluster or infotainment unit.

Driver communication needs can still be addressed with this solution. Using the steering wheel switch, drivers can accept or reject calls, or listen to text messages and reply via voice. The instrument cluster can show that the wearable is disabled, and visual alerts (such as an incoming caller’s name) can be displayed on the vehicle’s infotainment unit.

This patented technology can reduce the risk of distracted driving while still meeting drivers’ connectivity needs. And conveniently, the connection can be created seamlessly, without user input such as device pairing.

Data Flow for Wearable Connectivity

Today, 40% of wearable device owners are interested in technology that disables notifications while driving.

Page 4: Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving - Panasonic …...Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving How vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements and 3 key connectivity

› WEARABLE DEVICES & DISTRACTED DRIVING | 3

Future applications for wearable connectivityAs wearable devices become more common – and as vehicles become more technologically advanced – this could open up new possibilities for wearable connectivity. Already, the trucking industry is testing out a range of technologies designed to identify driver distraction and fatigue. Following are some ways in which wireless communication between vehicles and wearables could be used to potentially improve safety and comfort for drivers.

Personalization Wearable connectivity could be used to identify a vehicle occupant and then adjust the car’s interior to his or her preferences, including seat height, seat recline level, playlists, internal temperature and more. These settings could be stored in the vehicle e-cockpit memory and reapplied whenever the user enters the vehicle.

This personalization technology could also be applied to passengers, which would be especially helpful in a ride-sharing or autonomous vehicle where everyone gets their own personal, customizable zone.

Emergency features Many wearable devices are equipped with functionality that tracks the user’s vitals, including heart rate monitoring and sleep data. In the future, wearable devices that detect abnormal vital signs could communicate this information to the vehicle, which could then perform any number of safety maneuvers such as turning on hazard lights, calling 911, or notifying a designated emergency contact. If the vehicle is autonomous, it could even perform functions such as parking the vehicle or driving to the closest hospital.

Distracted driving alerts In the right context, alerts could be used to reduce distracted driving rather than exacerbate it. Imagine a wearable device that vibrates when a traffic light changes from red to green, or when vehicle monitoring systems detect that a driver’s eyes have been off the road for a certain amount of time.

Wearable Connectivity for User Safety and Comfort

Page 5: Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving - Panasonic …...Wearable Devices & Distracted Driving How vehicle connectivity solutions can lead to safety improvements and 3 key connectivity

› WEARABLE DEVICES & DISTRACTED DRIVING | 4

Wearables can be distracting – but they don’t have to beAs wearable devices continue to grow in popularity, we may begin to see an increased awareness of the risks posed by using such devices while driving. However, awareness alone may not be enough to solve the problem – and there’s no guarantee that distracted driving laws will be updated to explicitly prohibit wearable device usage.

Fortunately, technological solutions like wearable connectivity can help in reducing distracted driving caused by smart watches and similar devices. By incorporating this type of wireless safety technology into vehicles, automakers can give drivers the tools to protect themselves without sacrificing comfort, convenience or connectivity.

3 key connectivity terms to knowShort-range communication: Wireless technologies that have been developed to work across very short distances – from a few centimeters to a few meters – can be classified as short-range communication devices. Panasonic’s patented technology for wearable connectivity would utilize short-range communication technology to send data between a wearable device and a vehicle. Two possible short-range communication options are described below.

Near Field Communication (NFC): NFC allows two devices to communicate via radio signals when they are in close proximity to one another, generally within a few inches. A communication speed of up to 424 Kbit/s is supported. When two NFC devices come within contact range, they automatically interact – think contactless mobile payments. Technology advancement has made low-cost NFC tags a possibility.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): BLE functions similarly to NFC but has a higher maximum communication range at about 300 feet (though it can be adjusted to reach as low as a few centimeters). This sort-range communication protocol supports data transfer rates of up to 2 Mb/s. BLE has more features and capabilities than NFC but is also more expensive.