An FPGA System for Driver Mobile Usage Detection and Heart Rate-Based Health Monitoring

This work intends to develop a non-intrusive system that can detect the driver's mobile usage and health status and issue timely warnings. An intelligent Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based system is proposed to monitor drivers and send emergency information in real-time. The task is designed for in-vehicle applications where a dashboard camera will capture the driver's face, eye, and head movements. In the first step: face detection is performed, and the eye and head movements are then tracked to identify distracted driving. In the second step, the driver's heart rate is monitored using the smartwatch data. The pre-trained machine learning model is used to perform the above tasks, and the best-trained model is then transferred to the PYNQ-Z2 FPGA development board for real-time testing. The laboratory setup with an FPGA board performs well in tracking mobile usage and monitoring health status. The proposed method will alert the driver and the nearest emergency service provider if any abnormality is observed. This approach can help to reduce and prevent accidents.