The National Traffic Safety Administration is looking for non-contact eye closure monitoring devices to use in tests of “drowsy driver” detection systems.

NHTSA says the devices must provide real-time measurement of eyelid closure over set periods of time. They cannot have physical contact with the driver, cause harmful emissions, or include moving parts that could easily fail or require regular maintenance.
These "vigilance task tests" will be conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. Each device will be tested on sleep-deprived subjects who will remain awake for 42 hours while working on a computerized test battery every two hours. Results of these evaluations will help determine what devices will be used in operational field testing of drowsy driver technology scheduled to begin late in 2001.
Additional information can be found in the Oct. 11, 2000, Federal Register available at www.nara.gov/fedreg.