Intelligent driver drowsiness detection through fusion of yawning and eye closure

Driver drowsiness is a major factor in most driving accidents. In this paper we present a robust and intelligent scheme for driver drowsiness detection employing the fusion of eye closure and yawning detection methods. In this approach, the driver´s facial appearance is captured via a camera installed in the car. In the first step, the face region is detected and tracked in the captured video sequence utilizing computer vision techniques. Next, the eye and mouth areas are extracted from the face; and they are studied to find signs of driver fatigue. Finally, in a fusion phase the driver state is determined and a warning message is sent to the driver if the drowsiness is detected. Our experiments prove the high efficiency of the proposed idea.