'Driving under influence' test inside car will check driver's finger

September 30, 2011 by Nancy Owano report

DUI test inside car will check driver’s finger

Enlarge

The TruTouch Guardian device.

(PhysOrg.com) -- TK Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Takata Corporation of Japan, manufacturers of safety belts and airbag modules, will partner with TruTouch Technologies to create an in-car detection device that can tell if the driver is too drunk to drive. The device will check out the driver's blood alcohol level through the skin of the finger. The finger-scanning device is seen as a nonintrusive but reliable way to keep drunk drivers off the road.

The envisioned reader of (BAC) will be small, as part of the button that turns the car on. If the driver is inebriated, the car won't budge, even after the driver hits this “start” button.

TruTouch, is a company that defines its specialty as noninvasive biometric intoxication detection systems. Its product for this automotive application has an infrared light. The optical touch pad transmits light into the skin via direct contact and collects a portion of the light reflected back by the skin. This signal is analyzed to determine the alcohol concentration and verify the user’s identity. The device's test is said to be as accurate as a blood test.

Takata is aiming to get the cost down to approximately $200 each.

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

To move the product further into development, the two companies partnering for this device have received a $2.25 million grant from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS).

As for accuracy, observers say it would be a step up from the breathalyzer test, which can yield false positives. The Takata-TruTouch device could be on the market in eight to ten years. According to the NHTSA, the technology could be voluntarily installed as a new-car option.

Skeptics ask if a voluntary, not mandatory, solution of this type will bring any meaningful change in the numbers of road accidents caused by drunk drivers. Nonetheless, supporters say the device may signal a new era in safety against drunk drivers.

In 2009, close to 11,000 Americans, or one every 48 minutes, were killed in drunken-driving accidents, or 32% of the country's total motor vehicle traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA data.

As part of further product development efforts, the goal is to reduce processing time and to function not just at room temperature but under hot and cold temperatures and with different humidity and vibration levels.

© 2011 PhysOrg.com


Rank 5 /5 (3 votes)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Browser wars flare in mobile space

The browser wars are heating up again, but this time the fight is for dominance of the mobile Internet.

Technology / Software

created 5 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 2

Probability of contamination from severe nuclear reactor accidents is higher than expected: study

Catastrophic nuclear accidents such as the core meltdowns in Chernobyl and Fukushima are more likely to happen than previously assumed. Based on the operating hours of all civil nuclear reactors and the number ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 3.6 / 5 (22) | comments 56 | with audio podcast

SpotterRF debuts Radar Backpack Kit (w/ Video)

(Phys.org) -- SpotterRF has announced a special radar backpack kit designed to enhance situational awareness for soldiers on the ground. The company says its special radar is designed for warfighters as part ...

Technology / Hi Tech & Innovation

created May 26, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 12 | with audio podcast report

HyperSolar shows dirty water no barrier to power world

(Phys.org) -- The Santa Barbara, California, company, HyperSolar, is set to transparently share the ups and downs of its research experiences toward the company’s ultimate vision, successfully producing ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (16) | comments 17 | with audio podcast report

Tesla to launch electric sedan in US on June 22

Tesla Motors said Tuesday it would begin deliveries of "the world's first premium electric sedan" on June 22, slightly ahead of schedule.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (11) | comments 18


Nvidia trumpets Tegra 3 phone design wins for 2012

(Phys.org) -- Nvidia’s competitive war paint has a name, Tegra 3. On the heels of Nvidia announcements about lowering costs of its Tegra 3 processors and Nvidia-enabled tablets running Android Ice Cream ...

Scientist: Evolution debate will soon be history

(AP) -- Richard Leakey predicts skepticism over evolution will soon be history. Not that the avowed atheist has any doubts himself.

Dell tablet leak: 10.1-inch display, two-battery choice

(Phys.org) -- Headline after headline talks about vendors’ tablets in the wings as likely number-one contenders for the iPad. Such claims have justifiably been taken with a grain of salt, considering ...

Keep food safety in mind this memorial day weekend

(HealthDay) -- Picnics, parades and cookouts are as much a part of Memorial Day weekend as tributes to the United States' war veterans.

Social welfare cuts ultimately come with heavy price, researchers say

(Phys.org) -- Slashing government funding for Medicaid, food stamps and other programs that serve the poor – while politically popular with some lawmakers and many conservatives – may do more harm ...

Is a classical electrodynamics law incompatible with special relativity?

(Phys.org) -- The laws of classical electromagnetism that were developed in the 19th century are the same laws that scientists use today. They include Maxwell’s four equations along with the Lorentz la ...