Decreased vigilance and fatigue are major factors accounting for driver error. Moreover, it is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents. The development and integration of non invasive systems to detect driver fatigue in real time is a challenging task for the near future. Smart systems promise new approaches to sensor development, signal processing and interpretation to asses the evolution of the physiological state of the driver. At the same time, however, driver monitoring should be realistic in terms of automotive constraints, price and robustness.

Can smart materials meet those requirements? Issues involved in driver monitoring will be discussed and an overview of the demands placed on smart materials by the automotive environment will be given.