Tesla vehicles are equipped with numerous sensors and cameras. The electric car manufacturer wants to make its fleet fit for autonomous driving. A new patent now brings another possible use for these into play: They could also detect health emergencies for the driver and react accordingly.
• Tesla with new patent application
• Indoor camera is designed to detect medical emergencies
• Autonomous travel to the hospital possible
In view of the fact that, contrary to its own expectations, Tesla still does not have permission to allow its vehicles to drive fully autonomously, the electric car manufacturer has also installed a camera in the interior of its vehicles. Among other things, this is intended to monitor that Tesla drivers keep both hands on the steering wheel, even if Tesla’s autopilot has taken over the controls. Drivers currently have to be able to take control of the vehicle again at any time. “Before Autopilot is activated, the driver must agree that they will always hold the steering wheel and maintain ‘control and responsibility for their vehicle’ while using the feature. The driver will then be visually reminded of this each time Autopilot functionality is activated “To keep your hands on the steering wheel,” says the car manufacturer on its homepage when explaining the autopilot functionality.
Camera could take on additional functions
But the interior camera responsible for surveillance could also perform other tasks, as shown in a patent that Tesla filed with the US Patent Office in November. The patent is called “Personalization system and method for a vehicle based on spatial locations of occupants’ body portions” – translated roughly: “Personalized system and method for a vehicle based on the spatial location of occupants’ body parts”.
Behind the unwieldy name lies a multi-part concept: Tesla wants to use the camera to determine who is using the vehicle and automatically adjust the personalized settings for them. In addition, Tesla wants to individually adjust the air conditioning or in-vehicle audio systems based on the body size and shape of the vehicle occupants as soon as the camera has recognized the respective user profile. The patent application states, among other things, that non-individualized vehicle settings could lead to an impairment of the user experience, but resources would also not be directed effectively. Tesla is therefore looking at a possible reduction in energy consumption and, as a result, an increase in the range of the vehicle.
Will the Tesla be a lifesaver?
As the patent shows, Tesla also has another feature in its sights with its interior camera. Once the camera has recognized which occupants are in the vehicle and who has taken the wheel of the vehicle, comparing the stored user characteristics could also make health emergencies clear. If the camera detects that the driver’s face differs from the set characteristics, i.e. has abnormalities that indicate a health problem, the Tesla can contact the driver and ask him whether there is a medical emergency. If the driver answers this question in the affirmative or does not respond, a so-called emergency program should be activated in which a medical emergency call center is contacted. If the vehicle can still be controlled, the autopilot can then take control and drive directly to a hospital autonomously, according to Tesla’s vision of the future.
It remains to be seen whether the patent will actually be implemented and installed in the Tesla fleet. With its patent application, Tesla shows what is fundamentally possible if autonomous driving is fully approved by the authorities.
Editorial team finanzen.net
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