April 02, 2010
News

Ford is participating in an advanced research project exploring the use of technology to identify when drivers are under stress and help to alleviate it.

The six-month project, which began in January, will identify stress-inducing situations, use biometrics to monitor the driver's reaction and evaluate new stress-reducing features that could be incorporated into future automobiles.

The project is headed by the New England University Transportation Centre, a research, technology and education transfer program sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation. Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and based in MIT's Centre for Transportation and Logistics, the centre includes Harvard and six other state universities. It has developed the AgeLab, where a multidisciplinary team of researchers, government and industry partners like Ford are examining future transportation challenges to develop possible solutions.

The Globe and Mail