A new app has been developed that can accurately detect blood alcohol concentration through a person’s voice. The developers claim that this technology can help reduce injuries and fatalities caused by drunk driving. In Germany, people are allowed to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of up to 0.5 per mille. However, a study by the University of Witten/Herdecke found that most people underestimate their alcohol level. Researchers at Stanford University, led by Brian Suffoletto, have developed a technique that can measure blood alcohol concentration using a regular smartphone. The app requires users to speak a few sentences into their phone, and the software can detect changes in their voice to determine their blood alcohol concentration.
To test the accuracy of the app, the researchers conducted a study with 18 adults between the ages of 21 and 62. The participants were given a specific amount of alcohol based on their body weight, and their voices were recorded at various intervals after drinking. The recordings were then analyzed using special software that measured parameters such as frequency and pitch. The researchers found that their app was able to detect blood alcohol concentration with 98% accuracy.
While other studies have shown changes in speech during alcohol consumption, the researchers claim that their approach is unique due to its high level of accuracy. They plan to conduct further studies with more participants to verify the reliability of their findings. In the future, additional data sources such as gait patterns, voice quality, and social media messages could be used to analyze alcohol consumption. The ultimate goal of the developers is to create an intervention system that can prevent injuries and save lives.
