I've written on multiple occasions about the myriad opportunities for leveraging mobile electronics systems such as cameraphones and tablets as powerful, low cost, abundant embedded vision platforms. Specifically, in several cases, I've discussed harnessing such devices to implement various ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) capabilities, as an alternative to dedicated-function hardware…a product called iOnRoad, for example, which CEVA also recently showcased in a demo video. And I've also written about gaze tracking ADAS implementations from companies such as Tobii, which claim to even work through glasses, and which detect and alert the driver to drowsiness and distraction situations.
Combine the gaze-tracking concept with the front-view camera on a smartphone and you have Drive Awake, an iOS app that was developed by a Thailand-based coffee shop chain. Mount your iPhone on your dashboard, point the camera at your face, and Drive Awake will not only warn you when it senses you're nodding off but also then route you to the nearest Cafe Amazon (yes, believe it or not, that's what the chain is named) location. For more information, check out the additional coverage in the Cult of Mac and Gizmodo.
