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Interior sensing, or in-cabin sensing, is often talked about in abstract terms – cabin awareness, driver monitoring, vehicle intelligence. But what does it actually look like in practice? What happens when this technology is built into a real driving experience?
To answer that, we created four short driving scenarios inside Smart Eye’s in-house simulator. Each one captures an everyday situation – dropping a child off at daycare, commuting to work, taking a long road trip, or navigating city streets at night – and shows how interior sensing technology supports the driver in subtle but meaningful ways.
From detecting drowsiness and distraction to adjusting displays based on where you’re looking, these videos highlight the system’s ability to read the room and respond in real time.
Scroll down to explore each scenario and see the technology in action.
Mornings move fast – especially with a child in the back seat. In this scenario, the system detects a rear child seat and adjusts safety features automatically, including disabling the front passenger airbag.
As the drive begins, the in-car assistant gently steps in when the driver picks up their phone, offering to help without issuing a harsh warning. And when the child is dropped off, it’s the system that notices the driver’s phone was left behind – catching the kind of small oversight that’s easy to make on a busy morning.
The daily commute becomes a little more flexible when interior sensing works alongside autonomous driving. Before the system takes over, it checks that the driver is physically, visually, and cognitively ready. Once confirmed, the car handles the road – giving the driver space to focus on other tasks.
When it’s time to switch back, the system makes sure the driver is fully re-engaged before returning control. This smooth, responsive handoff helps build trust in shared driving responsibilities.
On long drives, it’s only natural for focus to start slipping. To help, the system uses gaze tracking to check whether the driver has looked before changing lanes – only triggering a warning if it’s actually needed.
Later, as fatigue starts to set in, it picks up on subtle signs and suggests helpful actions, like playing music or calling a friend. It’s a quiet layer of support that helps keep the drive smooth, without getting in the way.
A quiet night drive can change in an instant.
In this scenario, the system starts by adjusting the instrument panel lighting based on where the driver is looking, reducing unnecessary brightness and keeping the cabin focused and distraction-free. When the driver becomes momentarily distracted and misses a pedestrian crossing, the system recognizes the oversight and responds.
Later, when the driver suddenly slumps forward, the interior sensing system detects the change and prepares to contact emergency services – gathering details like passenger count, age group, and seatbelt use without needing any input from the driver.
These scenarios show just a few ways interior sensing can make a difference – quietly stepping in during everyday moments that don’t always go as planned.
Download our Interior Sensing eBook to explore the technology in greater depth.
