Hand-skin temperature response to driving fatigue: An exploratory study

Abstract

Driving fatigue detection is core to road safety. Infrared thermography has gained increasing attention due to the chance to non-invasively monitor real-time fatigue-related variations. Here, we present an exploratory study regarding the use of the driver’s hand-skin temperature as a fatigue index. Eleven participants drove along a monotonous circuit on a simulator for 2 h, while their hand-skin temperatures were recorded. The results showed a quadratic trajectory for the hand-skin temperature, with an increase in the first 20 min, followed by a decrease of about 2 ℃, over the rest of the time. The initial increase might be due to the gradual lowering in griping force on the steering wheel, because of growing fatigue. The final decrease might reflect the driver’s attempt to keep an acceptable level of performance while fatigued, increasing his/her griping force. The present study indicates that infrared thermography might represent a complementary method for unbiasedly track the driver’s fatigue levels, without interfering with his/her comfort or task performance, and without compromising safety.