Interior safety

The world of interior safety has had no shortage of innovations. Some, such as the SPOC block, have contributed to Polestar 2’s stellar safety results. Others, such as the seatbelt and the airbag, were so ground-breaking that they continued to be the last word in interior safety technology roughly 70 years after they first appeared.   

Until now.  

Now, the same technology that’s revolutionised exterior safety has been pointed inwards. And the results are equally revolutionary.  

Smart Eye is a Swedish firm specialising in Human Insight AI, technology that “understands, supports, and predicts human behaviour in complex environments”. Their eye tracking software, along with head position and gaze direction tracking, ensure that those behind the wheel of Polestar 3 are monitored (but never recorded) for distraction or illness, with the car’s various safety systems ready to intervene if necessary.   

The tech is surprisingly straightforward. Infrared light creates a reflection on the cornea of the eye, which is then captured, though never stored, by a camera. Algorithms then identify the pupil and iris of each eye, combining the data to accurately determine where the driver is looking. Additionally, the software tracks head position and facial expression, allowing the system to identify when a driver experiences loss of consciousness or other emergency.  

“By combining Smart Eye’s AI-based software with the closed-loop dual camera system in the Polestar 3, we deliver one of the most advanced driver monitoring systems available today,” says Smart Eye Founder and CEO Martin Krantz. “Smart Eye and Polestar share a deep commitment to saving lives on the road, and we are excited to collaborate on technology that progresses the longstanding Swedish tradition of automotive innovation.”   

Acconeer, another pioneering Swedish safety firm, creates radars which are used for interior detection, accurate to the millimetre, which ensure that nobody is accidentally left behind in the electric SUV once the other occupants have exited. “With a size of only 29 mm2, Acconeer’s radar sensors can detect distance, speed, motion, and objects up to 20 meters away,” states the Malmö-based company.  

Ultra-low power consumption, the ability to monitor life signs such as pulse rate and respiration, and the smallest footprint on the market all serve to make Acconeer’s radars as efficient as possible.  

“Polestar 3 is one of the absolute leading tech platforms when it comes to using cutting edge technology for a better and safer driving experience,” says Acconeer CTO Mats Ärlelid. “To see our radar sensors contribute to saving lives in that environment beats any other use case.” 

With safety, as with other things, it’s the inside that counts. And with Smart Eye and Acconeer, it’s even more true.