Using the technology and knowhow developed by the Rehabilitation Bioengineering Group, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras, road safety enhancing products will be developed by the Institute and Harita Seating Systems Limited (HSSL). Called Intelliseat™, it has been developed for commercial use. The products under the initiative will be viable and cost-effective.
Intelliseat™ monitors the driver 24×7 and operates independently. It can be used for in-vehicle information of status and has a central tracking facility for fleet owners. Intelliseat™, an IoT device, can also be used for driver training and fleet risk evaluation, which would eventually have a bearing on the overall fleet insurance and ownership cost. The sensors embedded to the seat monitor the presence of driver in the vehicle, their behaviour, performance and fatigue. This enables to warn the driver in-vehicle or to communicate with the fleet operator in real-time. This can help them to take necessary action instantaneously. The product has been road-tested in commercial vehicles in south India.