I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you crash

A university student has come up with a system that can monitor drivers and alert them if they fall asleep.

Stephen Rackham's Driver Alertness Monitor uses advanced machine vision software to recognise the driver's face, locate the eyes and assess whether they are open or closed.

If the eyes remain closed for a period while in 'drive' pose, the system sounds an alarm.

The work was carried out by the final year Batchelor of Engineering student at the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Plymouth.

Plymouth's team of robot footballers won the 2006 Robosoccer football final earlier this year.