Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale by Zeyuan Zhang and Xuechun Tao

Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale by Zeyuan Zhang and Xuechun Tao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Apamemea in Mamanu Fa'asavali Competition Category.

ApamemeaFa'asavali· 2025

Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale

by Zeyuan Zhang and Xuechun Tao

Client: Tick Design Labs (Shanghai)

A' Design Award Apamemea Winner in Fa'asavali Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale

Thermal Sense o se vaʻaiga mataala mo le ave taʻavale i totonu o taʻavale. E suitulaga e le Thermal Sense le mea faʻaaogaina masani lea o le meapueata i totonu o le taʻavale i se masini vaʻaia vevela e maualalo le resolution lea e puʻe naʻo mamanu vevela, ma e leai ai ni ata e iloagofie ai se tagata. O le module o le masini vaʻaia e 40 i le 30 i le 20 milimita le tele ma e faʻapipiʻi i luga o le faʻaali ata i tua e mafai ai ona vaʻavaʻai atoatoa i totonu o le taʻavale. E suʻesuʻeina e polokalame neural network le maualuga o le moe o mata, faʻapea ma gaioiga o le ulu, e iloa ai le manava, le lē mafaufau totonugalemu, ma le i ai foʻi o se tamaitiiti i totonu o le taʻavale. E tuʻuina atu lapataiga saogalemu i lalo ifo o le 100 misekone, ma e puipuia le faalilolilo o faʻamaumauga i le tulaga o faʻamaumauga lava ia.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Apamemea

O le A' Design Award Apamemea na manumalo ai Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu ese e iloga i le fatufatuaʻi, le atamai ma le poto. O ē manumalo i le Apamemea o mea e iai le tomai atoa ma fatufatuaʻi mataʻina e faamaonia ai le poto masani tele, le mafaufau ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale e avea ma mea e vivii tele, ua pelepelea, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Apamemea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili i le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi ma e sili ona lelei i le mataituina o mea itiiti. Thermal Sense Vaʻaiga Mataala mo le Ave Taʻavale e faamalieina matagofie manaʻoga, pa i manaʻo, faalataina lagona ma faaosofia le fia iloa.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: With the increasing requirement for in-car cameras to monitor drivers and support assisted driving systems, Thermal Sense offers a groundbreaking alternative. It replaces traditional cameras with low-resolution thermal sensors, capturing only heat signatures to eliminate privacy risks. This system ensures data-level privacy while detecting drowsiness, distractions, and child presence using advanced machine learning. By prioritizing safety and privacy, Thermal Sense sets a new benchmark.
Dimensions & Packaging: The thermal sensor module measures 40mm x 30mm x 20mm and is mounted discreetly on the rearview mirror for optimal cabin coverage. It features a low-resolution array of 32x32 pixels with a thermal sensitivity of ± 0.1°C. The system operates in real-time with a latency of under 100ms, powered by a custom hardware platform integrating convolutional neural network architectures. The package is lightweight, energy-efficient, and optimized for seamless automotive integration.
Tags: thermal imaging, privacy monitoring, driver analysis, cabin safety, thermal sensors, non-invasive, AI
Production Technology: Thermal Sense integrates a thermal sensor at the rearview mirror for wide-angle cabin coverage. Sourced with customized original equipment manufacturer specifications, the sensor detects minute thermal variations, ensuring high sensitivity for monitoring physiological parameters. Advanced convolutional neural network process thermal data, analyzing key indicators like eye closure rates and head movements. A robust real-time pipeline enhances image quality, extracts features, and provides immediate safety alerts.
Design Challenge: Limited availability of high-quality, low-cost thermal sensors and real-time processing technology were overcome through iterative testing and collaboration with original equipment manufactures and artificial intelligence experts.
Research: Using an in-between method, we cross-compared the thermal sensor approach with traditional cameras for measuring driver behavior. Controlled experiments with 50 participants assessed drowsiness and distractions. Results showed no significant performance difference between the two methods. This demonstrates that the thermal approach is as effective as cameras while eliminating privacy concerns, making it a superior, privacy-conscious solution.
Inspiration: Inspired by advancements in thermal imaging and the need for privacy-focused solutions, Thermal Sense addresses mandatory driver monitoring requirements without compromising identity. Research shows the efficacy of thermal sensors in detecting behavior and ensuring safety. By eliminating human-identifiable color images, it prioritizes privacy while monitoring driver attention, passenger activity, and child presence.
Project Duration: The project commenced in January 2023 in Shanghai, China, and was completed in October 2024. Research, development, and testing phases were conducted in collaboration with leading automotive technology innovation labs.
Operation Flow: Thermal Sense operates seamlessly in the background, using a thermal sensor to monitor the cabin without capturing identifiable images. Installed on the rearview mirror, it detects heat patterns to identify driver drowsiness, distractions, or child presence. The system provides real-time alerts, ensuring safety without compromising privacy. Its unobtrusive design and precise detection deliver reliable results, creating a safer and more privacy-conscious driving experience.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Zeyuan Zhang, and Tick Design Labs (Shanghai)
Team Members: Lead Designer: Zeyuan Zhang
Lead Designer: Xuechun Tao
Lead Designer: Yangyi Tai
Image Credits: All Image: Zeyuan Zhang