New DashCam Uses Facial Recognition

New Dashcam uses Facial Recognition

When it comes to vehicle safety technology, dash cameras are nothing new. Drivers have been using them to record their daily commutes and prevent insurance fraud since the early 2000's when digital video camera technology became affordable enough for the general public to purchase. Shortly after, commercial fleets began to see the potential of dash cams and started to install them in their vehicles to protect themselves from lawsuits and prove the innocence of their drivers in court.

In recent years, dash camera manufacturers have begun to develop robust, powerful features that go far beyond merely recording the scene of an accident. Live streaming technology, 4G mobile internet, and the ability to mount multiple cameras on a single vehicle have greatly expanded the benefits of having a dash camera system in your fleet. Rather than just protecting themselves after the fact, fleets have recently enjoyed the ability to monitor their drivers and provide enhanced safety training and feedback in real time.

Integrated GPS and G-Force sensors in dash cams have also revolutionized fleet tracking, as fleet managers have access to an all-in-one solution that provides extremely detailed vehicle location information. As goes without saying, a GPS system in each vehicle can help reduce theft and provide customers with the whereabouts of their long-awaited online orders. One of the many overlooked benefits of GPS, however, is that it can reduce operating costs by helping managers monitor the speed and distance traveled by a fleet vehicle. G-force sensors, on the other hand, provide additional insights into driver behavior and identify sharp turns, unnecessary acceleration, and dangerously quick lane changes.

So what’s new for dash cameras and fleet safety technology? As it turns out, ADAS systems are being implemented into cameras to provide both fleet managers and drivers with an incredible set of tools. By using multiple video feeds of vehicle cameras as their eyes, sophisticated programs can alert drivers of vehicles in their blind spots, assist them when changing lanes, or even bring them to a screeching halt when obstacles pass in front of them.

The next generation of fleet dash cameras is going above and beyond by providing incredibly accurate methods of identifying drowsy and distracted driving as they occur. Safety Track’s new line of dash cams, for example, use both AI and facial recognition to determine whether or not a driver is yawning, closing their eyes, or talking on the phone in real time. It can even tell if they are smoking or drinking while behind the wheel! (To see how exactly this new tech works, check out the video on our page.)

The full benefits of this new technology have yet to become fully realized, but proponents of AI-equipped dash cameras claim that the more mundane aspects of fleet management like constantly watching live feeds of drivers can be reduced—and eventually eliminated. Even the most vigilant fleet manager or team of dispatchers can’t possibly watch every driver at once. However, AI and Facial Recognition provide fleet managers with an extra set of eyes that can alert them if a driver is participating in dangerous behaviors and catch the important details they might not see at first glance.