NIO: New AI Prevents Accidents When Drivers Fall Asleep at the Wheel

NIO: New AI Prevents Accidents When Drivers Fall Asleep at the Wheel

NIO has unveiled a revolutionary autonomous emergency stop system that could save the lives of the driver and passengers if the driver loses consciousness while driving with the autopilot engaged.

The system works like this: If NIO detects that the driver has fallen asleep or lost consciousness, it first sounds a series of increasingly loud warnings. If the driver does not respond, the car activates the hazard warning lights, gently brakes, and, according to the first generation of NIO World Model (NWM) technology, automatically moves to the far right lane to stop. The car then unlocks the doors and contacts emergency services.

Part of the intelligent mode

This function is available as part of the Smart Drive Enjoyment Mode, which is part of the L2 Advanced Autopilot.
Unlike competitors' demo videos, NIO's solution has already been put into mass production. Its implementation required high computing power, fault tolerance, and accurate assessment of the road situation.

The "emergency stop at the shoulder" function is just one part of the intelligent mode, which also includes soft lane changes, protection against cutting off, and even flashing headlights in response to aggressive maneuvers of other drivers.

L3 level developments

Importantly, this functionality is based on the company's developments in the field of conditional autonomous driving level L3. In 2024, NIO was among nine companies that received permission from the Chinese authorities to test such systems on public roads. As a result, even older NIO models with the Banyan system today receive functions that were previously only available in premium L3 developments.

Now, falling asleep at the wheel of a NIO car is not only difficult, but also possibly life-saving.