Know Labs is seeking to embed its sensor technology in automobile steering wheels and states that this deployment could be used to “prohibit an impaired individual from driving”.
The sensors have demonstrated under laboratory conditions that they can non-invasively determine blood alcohol levels. Know Labs has retained The Stanbridge Group to secure a strategic relationship with an automotive original equipment manufacturer to embed the sensor technology in automobile steering wheels.
This discovery occurred during the early development of the company’s non-invasive glucose monitoring technology, which lead to the filing of a patent – Vehicle Interface Systems and Methods for Analyte-Based Control on August 15, 2022. It was published on February 15, 2024, with publication number: US 2024/0050007 A1.
In 2022, drunk driving was responsible for 13,524 deaths in the USA according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Know Labs innovation directly addresses upcoming regulations pertaining to this, such as President Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is set to redefine the landscape of DUI prevention. By as early as 2026, all new vehicles sold within the country will need to be equipped with passive alcohol detection systems.
Ron Erickson, Know Labs CEO, said, “While inventing and developing the Know Labs non-invasive diagnostic technology we have paid close attention to the many diverse fields of use in which our technology could be applied. Determining driver health and wellness is one of those fields of use.
“Our broad patent portfolio covers installing our sensor technology in an automobile steering wheel. We believe our sensor technology, embedded in steering wheels, can keep drunk drivers off the road and become the standard for the global auto industry.”
