Xiaomi SU7 electric car mistakenly identifies Chinese people sleeping while driving

A resident of the Chinese province of Zhejiang, Mr. Li, regularly encounters warnings from the driver monitoring system in his Xiaomi SU7 electric car. The car mistakenly considers him tired and demands to focus on the road, despite the fact that the driver is awake. A video posted on social networks shows Li trying to deliberately open his eyes wide to stop the beeps and messages on the screen.

According to users, owners of other Chinese cars, including the Weilai and Deep Blue brands, are faced with similar situations. Bloggers note that the system incorrectly determines the driver’s condition based on the shape of his eyes. Auto blogger DerekTLM said that he received penalty points for allegedly falling asleep at the wheel, although he was not dozing – he simply had narrow eyes, which the system’s algorithm took for closed.

Xiaomi Auto explains that the system uses an infrared camera on the steering wheel that records behavior characteristic of fatigue: closed eyes, yawning and other signs. The camera can be calibrated or turned off, but the manufacturer warns that this may affect safety.

According to experts from the School of Artificial Intelligence of Henan University, DMS (driver monitoring) systems mostly rely on visual data and work according to basic templates. The cameras assess the degree of eyelid opening, mouth position and other parameters. The American PERCLOS P80 standard is widely used: if the eyelids cover more than 80% of the pupil, this is considered a sign of sleep. However, this model is not suitable for people with Asian appearance. In some cases, as experts note, errors in determination can reach 60%.

The problem, according to analysts, lies in universal algorithms that do not adapt to differences in appearance. Developing more flexible systems focused on the diversity of users remains a pressing task for manufacturers.