Electrooculogram (EOG) data was used to develop, adjust and validate a method for drowsiness detection in drivers. The drowsiness detection was based on changes in blink behaviour and classification was made on a four graded scale. The purpose was to detect early signs of drowsiness in order to warn a driver. MATLAB was used for implementation. For adjustment and validation, two different reference measures were used; driver reported ratings of drowsiness and an electroencephalogram (EEG) based scoring scale. A correspondence of 70 % was obtained between the program and the self ratings and 56 % between the program and the EEG based scoring scale. The results show a possibility to detect drowsiness by analyzing blink behaviour changes, but that inter-individual differences need to be considered. It is also difficult to find a comparable reference measure. The comparability of the blink based scale and the EEG based scale needs further investigation.
Master's thesis project in applied physics and electrical engineering. Reprint from Linköping University, Dept. Biomedical Engineering, LiU-IMT-Ex-04/369, Linköping 2004