Paola Natalia Cañas

Paola Natalia Canas, Juan Diego Ortega, Marcos Nieto et al.

Strategies that include the generation of synthetic data are beginning to be viable as obtaining real data can be logistically complicated, very expensive or slow. Not only the capture of the data can lead to complications, but also its annotation. To achieve high-fidelity data for training intelligent systems, we have built a 3D scenario and set-up to resemble reality as closely as possible. With our approach, it is possible to configure and vary parameters to add randomness to the scene and, in this way, allow variation in data, which is so important in the construction of a dataset. Besides, the annotation task is already included in the data generation exercise, rather than being a post-capture task, which can save a lot of resources. We present the process and concept of synthetic data generation in an automotive context, specifically for driver and passenger monitoring purposes, as an alternative to real data capturing.

Paola Natalia Cañas, Mikel García, Nerea Aranjuelo et al.

This paper describes the methodology for building a dynamic risk assessment for ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems) algorithms in parking scenarios, fusing exterior and interior perception for a better understanding of the scene and a more comprehensive risk estimation. This includes the definition of a dynamic risk methodology that depends on the situation from inside and outside the vehicle, the creation of a multi-sensor dataset of risk assessment for ADAS benchmarking purposes, and a Local Dynamic Map (LDM) that fuses data from the exterior and interior of the car to build an LDM-based Dynamic Risk Assessment System (DRAS).

Paola Natalia Cañas, Marcos Nieto, Oihana Otaegui et al.

In recent years, we have witnessed significant progress in emerging deep learning models, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs) and Vision-Language Models (VLMs). These models have demonstrated promising results, indicating a new era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that surpasses previous methodologies. Their extensive knowledge and zero-shot capabilities suggest a paradigm shift in developing deep learning solutions, moving from data capturing and algorithm training to just writing appropriate prompts. While the application of these technologies has been explored across various industries, including automotive, there is a notable gap in the scientific literature regarding their use in Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS). This paper presents our initial approach to implementing VLMs in this domain, utilising the Driver Monitoring Dataset to evaluate their performance and discussing their advantages and challenges when implemented in real-world scenarios.

Paola Natalia Cañas, Alexander Diez, David Galvañ et al.

This paper presents a robust, occlusion-aware driver monitoring system (DMS) utilizing the Driver Monitoring Dataset (DMD). The system performs driver identification, gaze estimation by regions, and face occlusion detection under varying lighting conditions, including challenging low-light scenarios. Aligned with EuroNCAP recommendations, the inclusion of occlusion detection enhances situational awareness and system trustworthiness by indicating when the system's performance may be degraded. The system employs separate algorithms trained on RGB and infrared (IR) images to ensure reliable functioning. We detail the development and integration of these algorithms into a cohesive pipeline, addressing the challenges of working with different sensors and real-car implementation. Evaluation on the DMD and in real-world scenarios demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed system, highlighting the superior performance of RGB-based models and the pioneering contribution of robust occlusion detection in DMS.