Smartphones should gain a ‘breathalyzer’ function, research indicates

A study conducted by researchers at Stanford and Toronto universities suggests that smartphones can become allies in detecting drunkenness through changes in voice.

Published on Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugsthe research revealed that sensors present in smartphones and smart speakers were able to identify the alcohol poisoning with 98% accuracy.

The experiment involved 18 adults, aged 21 and over, who were given doses of alcohol based on their weight.

Participants were subjected to tongue twisters before and after ingestion, reading aloud while their smartphones recorded their voices from a distance of 30 to 60 centimeters.

Analysis of changes in voice patterns throughout the experiment predicted alcohol intoxication with high accuracy.

Interventions for road safety

Lead researcher Brian Suffoletto, associate professor of emergency medicine at Stanford, highlights the research’s potential to provide effective interventions to prevent injuries and deaths in car accidents.

He emphasizes the importance of easy-to-use and readily available intervention tools, pointing to the ubiquity of smartphones as a viable solution.

Image: Freepik/Reproduction

Suffoletto also envisions the possibility of combining several sensors, such as analysis of locomotion behavior, voice and text messages, to increase detection accuracy.

However, it highlights the need for more studies, involving people from different backgrounds, to confirm the validity of voice patterns as reliable indicators of intoxication.

The research highlights the importance of time in the effectiveness of interventions, pointing out that reminders of consumption limits at the beginning of the alcohol intake process can have a significant impact.

However, once a person is intoxicated, the effectiveness of these interventions may decrease.

This advance in the detection of drunkenness through smartphones opens the door to technologies for security innovative and effective road transport, aligned with the objective of reducing accidents and promoting a safer environment on the roads.