ASTID comprises two linked systems designed to advise and monitor a driver about his or her sleepiness whilst driving.
1. The first system is "knowledge based" and provides an electronic template predicting hour by hour the likelihood of the driver falling asleep over a 24 hour period. The template which is researched based, is also influenced by prior sleep.
2. The second is a "steering sensory" system able to detect : (i) monotonous driving and (ii) vehicle movement (steering) characteristics typifying sleepy driving. Information from (i)& (ii) is processed and fed into the knowledge based system
In summary the knowledge based system forewarns the likelihood of falling asleep at the wheel, whereas the steering sensory system warns the driver when he or she is doing so.
ASTID, the Advisory System for Tired Drivers has been developed using a software algorithm that incorporates sound scientific research into sleep and sleepiness by Loughborough Sleep Research Centre world renowned for its work into the effect of driver fatigue.