Stellar i-ris aims to prevent and reduce accidents on roads and at safety-critical workplaces due to users’ tiredness and narcotics (incl. alcohol, drugs, psychoactive medicine) intake. In the past 10 years, 376,343 fatal road accidents were reported in the EU. These accidents cause even more injuries and cost at the global level 1-3% of the world’s GDP. Occupational accidents cause 350,000 deaths /year and millions of serious injuries worldwide. It is estimated that drivers’ tiredness and narcotics intake cause approx. 27% of fatal road accidents. This has dramatic effects on our economy, society, infrastructure, and healthcare systems. Yet for time and cost reasons, road users and safety-critical professions are tested very rarely. Scientifics estimate a high “hidden” number of cases of tiredness and driving under the influence (DUI) of narcotics. This is due to the absence of reliable, all-in-one tests on the market. No tiredness detection system is currently used by traffic authorities. The pupillary light reflex - a recognised marker for tiredness and narcotics - is one of the most relevant indicators.
Current detection systems are not economically viable or present technical drawbacks (analysis time, accuracy, invasiveness, heavy equipment). Company Stellar offers worldwide the first non-invasive tiredness (proof of concept) and narcotics detection system using a unique process and algorithm for the biometric measurement of the human pupil light reflex, delivering reliable results immediately. It includes 2 product concepts: i-ris HEAD, a fully automated measurement device with IR-retina illumination, targeted to controllers (traffic authorities, OHS specialists, employers) and i-ris APP, a self-detection smartphone application, targeted to end users (drivers, workers at safety-critical workplaces). The innovation targets the markets of drug-of-abuse and tiredness testing in Europe – together estimated at €1 billion.
The goals of the Stellar i-ris innovation project are:
1) to offer for the first time a reliable and price/performance competitive product solution for the biometric measurement of the human pupil light reflex;
2) to enable our target users – on the one side our so-called controllers – to perform easy-of-use, quick and accurate prevention controls on a frequent up to a systematic basis (e.g. at workplace); and, on the other side, our end users to perform self-detection tests to protect themselves, others but also the surrounding infrastructures, environment and to a larger extent the society from accidents on roads and at work due to tiredness, or due to the intake of alcohol, drugs or the abuse of psychoactive medicines;
3) to add value to the European markets of drug-of-abuse and tiredness testing by introducing an until now unique solution for the detection of tiredness and narcotic consumption that will improve state-of-the-art prevention controls in terms of accuracy, speed of measurement and non-invasiveness;
4) to enable Stellar to gain a leading market position in providing measurement solutions based on pupillometry as drug-of-abuse and tiredness test products for road safety and occupational health and safety – with an easy, simple and affordable solution that can be applied to all safety-critical sectors (i.a. air, road, rail, sea passenger and goods transport, as well as nuclear, oil and gas, chemical, construction and offshore (wind or oil) industries).
In conclusion, the overall project was, considering the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic during the last project year, successfully managed. Although some of the goals could not be met to the originally planned extent, the i-ris HEAD device is finished and the next steps to further exploit the project’s results are starting in early 2021.
