Tech

There’s a Device Which Wakes You Up if You Doze Off while Driving, and It’s Invented by S’porean Students

2017-01-09 , 12:48 pm

In Singapore’s fast-paced and hectic society, sleep is often neglected with Singapore being one of the cities with the least hours of sleep.

According to an article by Straits Times, Singaporeans clock an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes of sleep a day, clearly lower than the recommended 7 hours of sleep.

Sleep-Driving Accidents

Thus, one may ask whether there are any repercussions to this lack of sleep? One apparent consequence may be the occurrence of sleep driving incidents.

For instance, in March 2013, a casino surveillance officer was sleep-deprived after staying out with friends for 12 hours, after her 12-hour shift.

This led to an accident where she blanked out at the wheel and rear-ended a lorry, killing an Indian national and injuring 11 others.

If only there was a device that could alert drivers and wake them up, such incidents might not occur!

The ‘Risk Watch’ claims to fulfil such a function.

Invented by 5 freshmen from the Singapore University of Technological Design, the Risk Watch monitors the driver’s state of wakefulness and requires the driver to respond or an alarm would go off.

Made up of a watch and ring, the watch lights up every 15 minutes, prompting the driver to flex the finger or else, the watch will vibrate.

The ring also measures the driver’s heartbeat and if it senses that the driver is falling asleep, it will vibrate too.

Think of it as an alarm clock that cannot be turned off, only snoozed.

Especially Useful for Night Shift Workers

It is definitely a marvellous invention by these year-1 students who created their device in just a span of 12 weeks. Their innovation was showcased at SUTD’s The Technological Body exhibition which encourages the invention of wearable design technology.

I, myself, find it especially useful for night shift workers such as taxi drivers or drivers in the Singapore Armed Forces.

As noted by the inventors, the Risk Watch was inspired by their concern for motorists who may fall asleep at the wheel. Hopefully, the product will be eventually completed and mass produced for drivers out there.

Featured Image: straitstimes.com

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

There’s a Device Which Wakes You Up if You Doze Off while Driving, and It’s Invented by S’porean Students

Sleep-Driving Accidents

The ‘Risk Watch’ claims to fulfil such a function.

Especially Useful for Night Shift Workers

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