Search for a Mentor.

My idea: To design a program for vehicles that reads the drivers dangerous driving states of mind (anger, drowziness, etc.) through gaze tracking analysis, body movement analysis and verbal tone analysis and counteracts those emotions to revert the driver back to a safe driving state of mind. This will reduce accidents caused by road rage (the #2 cause of car accidents) and drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

To accomplish this, I first need to research what bodily reactions humans exhibit when they are angry or aggravated, as well as reactions we exhibit when we are tired. Knowing that human's heart rate fluctuates based on the mood of its host, I know I will need to install heart rate monitors in the steering wheel as the first indicator that the driver's mood is becoming unsafe for driving.

I also know that I will need some sort of gaze tracker installed in the car as well as a body movement tracker and a voice analyzer. This is a lot to accomplish in less than a year. I'm hoping that drawing up a timeline will help me whittle down what can't be accomplished so I can set myself up for success from the git-go.


Mentor Must-Haves: 
1. Enough experience with HCI to be able to direct a student with little-no knowledge/experience (I am the epitome  of a noob when it comes to HCI...I'm going to need a mentor with the patience and skill to teach me what I need to know in less than a year)
2. Mild, laid-back personality that can handle my over-the-top, worrisome personality. (I know when I step up to take on a huge project like this I get stressed very easily and tend to fret, plus I know I have a big personality)
3. Relatively flexible schedule. (I know I'm going to need a lot of mentor time to learn everything I need to know in order to tackle this project)


Potential Mentors:
1. Pauline Baker
2. Wade Mitchell
3. David Bolchini


Each of these faculty members are highly experienced in HCI, two of them holding doctorates and the third working on his. I believe any one of them could have the capacity to teach a novice the fundamentals I will need to complete this project, I will need to interview them to find out who (if any) have the time and/or patience to do so.