BMW's new patent: monitoring fatigue through odor while driving

IIA learned from the State Intellectual Property Office that BMW has filed a new patent information. This patent is a way to obtain the driver's mental state by detecting odor characteristics to perform multiple auxiliary functions.

According to the information, by placing one or more odor sensors on the seat and backrest, headrest or roof, it is used to detect the odor substances released into the ambient air by the human body and the environmental odor characteristics of the internal space. Then, according to the recorded odor characteristic realization curve, the odor characteristic change is identified and correlated with the user's psychological state change. When the user's mental state changes, such as fatigue, the system will activate massage or other auxiliary functions to improve the user's driving state.

All the major auto manufacturers have been developing auxiliary systems for detecting driver status, whether it is more mature camera facial recognition or other methods, to improve driving safety. The new patent applied for by BMW has explored a brand-new way, the feasibility of which is unknown, but this odor detection method can be applied to prevent drunk driving, which can further improve road safety.