A state of a driver is detected more quickly. A state detection device according to an embodiment is provided with a first solid-state imaging device (200) provided with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, the first solid-state imaging device that detects, according to a light amount incident on each of the pixels, occurrence of an event in the pixel, and a state detection unit (12, 15, 16) that detects a state of a driver on the basis of the occurrence of the event detected by the first solid-state imaging device.

A vehicle control element measures concentrations of substances in air of vehicle, where the air includes the exhalations and/or body odors or other odors from occupants within the vehicle. A measurement chamber on or in the vehicle control element may include at least one first entry hole through which air can be drawn into the measurement chamber; at least one first exit hole through which air can be discharged from the measurement chamber; a polygonal, elliptical, or circular cross section; reflective inside walls; a laser located at a second entry hole in the measurement chamber, with which laser beams are projected into the measurement chamber through the second entry hole; and a detector located at a second exit hole in the measurement chamber with which laser beams exiting the measurement chamber through the second exit hole are detected. The vehicle control element also includes an interface to an evaluation device.

Provided is a vehicle seat that detects an alertness level of the driver, urges the driver to be alert, and permits the transition from autonomous driving to manual driving when the driver is alert enough for the manual driving. A vehicle seat configured to be mounted on a vehicle provided with a vehicle control device that can be selectively switched from autonomous driving to manual driving comprises: a seat body configured to support a driver; a seat control unit configured to communicate with the vehicle control device; an alertness level sensor provided on the seat body for detecting an alertness level of the driver; and a rousing unit provided on the seat body for providing a stimulus for urging the driver to be roused, wherein the seat control unit is configured to detect the alertness level of the driver according to a signal from the alertness level sensor upon receiving a start signal that is produced by the vehicle control device when a transition from the autonomous driving to the manual driving is to be initiated, to activate the rousing unit when the alertness level is lower than a first alertness level threshold value, and to permit the vehicle control device to perform the transition from the autonomous driving to the manual driving when the alertness level is equal to or higher than the first alertness level threshold value.

A wakefulness inducing device includes: a heat dissipation intensity obtainer obtaining a user's heat dissipation intensity from a heat dissipation intensity sensor; and a controller controlling an air conditioner to alternate the user's heat dissipation intensity between a first heat dissipation intensity and a second heat dissipation intensity lower than the first heat dissipation intensity. The controller alternates the user's heat dissipation intensity by controlling the air conditioner based on the user's heat dissipation intensity to set a first time period longer than a second time period. In the first time period, the user's heat dissipation intensity increases from the second heat dissipation intensity to the first heat dissipation intensity, or remains at the first heat dissipation intensity. In the second time period, the user's heat dissipation intensity decreases from the first heat dissipation intensity to the second heat dissipation intensity, or remains at the second heat dissipation intensity.

Provided are an electronic device and method for assisting driving of a vehicle, the electronic device including a sensor configured to sense a rotation direction of a steering wheel of the vehicle, a processor configured to monitor rotation direction switching events of the steering wheel, obtain a rotation direction switching pattern about a number of rotation direction switching events of the steering wheel per unit time, and determine whether to provide an alert to a driver of the vehicle, based on the obtained rotation direction switching pattern, and an outputter configured to output the alert to the driver, based on the determination.

An advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and a manipulation assembly thereof. The manipulation assembly is configured as a joystick independently arranged in a vertical direction as a whole, and internally includes, at least partially, a plurality of manipulation modules used for an ADAS. The ADAS includes a manipulation assembly, a sensor module configured to detect the states of a driver, a vehicle and/or other vehicles, and a control module configured to receive a manipulation signal sent by the manipulation assembly and sensor data detected by the sensor module, and perform a corresponding driver assistance control operation according to the manipulation signal and the sensor data. Such configurations can improve user manipulation experience and ensure manipulation safety.

A method for switching modes for operating a vehicle, a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing the method, and information processing apparatuses. The method includes determining, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus, whether a mode for operating the vehicle is to be switched from one of autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous and manual driving modes. A state of a driver of the vehicle is obtained when the mode for operating the vehicle is determined to be switched. The method further includes switching, by the circuitry, the mode for operating the vehicle from the one of the autonomous and manual driving modes to the other of the autonomous manual driving modes based on the obtained state of the driver.

In a vehicle control system (1) configured for autonomous driving, and having a control unit (15) configured to execute a stop process by which the vehicle is parked in a prescribed stop area when it is detected that the control unit or the driver has become incapable of properly maintaining a traveling state of the vehicle, the control unit determines if a person is present within a predetermined range from the vehicle according to information obtained by a surrounding condition acquiring unit (61), the control unit causing the external notification device (14) to generate the acoustic notification at a first notification volume when a person is present within the predetermined range, and at a second notification volume higher than the first notification volume when a person is not present within the predetermined range.

Light bar assemblies configured to be mounted to a rim of a steering wheel of a vehicle are disclosed. The light bar assemblies can include components of a driver monitoring system. The light bar assembly includes two shells defining or surrounding the rim and a wrapping surrounding the two shells. A portion of the wrapping is tucked into a slot disposed between the two shells forming a slit. A lens comprises a visible light transmissive portion and an IR light transmissive portion.

A system includes a first notifying unit, a detection unit, and a second notifying unit. The first notifying unit performs a first notification for notifying a target in a predetermined area of an abnormality, in a case where an abnormal state occurs in a running vehicle. The detection unit detects presence of a target unaware of the first notification. The second notifying unit performs a second notification for notifying the target in the predetermined area of the abnormality, in a case where the presence of the target unaware of the first notification is detected.