A $1.5 million prototype is being tested at the AgeLab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to perfect the Aware Car, which seeks to help older motorists to be safer while driving.

Using infrared cameras and mini-cameras, the unit under construction measures the driver's habits and would react if the driver behind the wheel veers away from his usual response. Cameras monitors the driver's eye and eyelid movements, while the driver's heart rate, blood pressure and respiration are monitored and the data sent to a device on the trunk that can detect lane drifting. In the back seat is a computer monitor where real-time data periodically show up.

Joseph Coughlin, director of AgeLab, told the Boston Globe, "Making technology more responsive to older drivers, makes it safer for all generations. The notion is driver well-being, a wellness approach to driving."

Because the experiment is only on a pilot stage, it could take at least 25 years before any of the features are seen on autos rolling out of factories, said Bryan Reimer, one of the project's researchers.

AgeLab has a variety of materials available that would help families and caregivers assess when is it time for patients to stop driving.