PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vigilance maintaining system for effectively enabling a target person to keep a vigilance state by adding appropriate vigilance stimulation to the target person who feels sleepy.SOLUTION: When a driver D being the target person feels sleepy, an air bag 3 is inflated to add the vigilance stimulation being a pressure sensation stimulation to the erector muscle of spine of the driver D. A physiological measuring instrument 8 measures muscle potential as a parameter indicating the active state of the erector muscle of spine. A vigilance maintaining ECU 11 performs control to allow the intensity of the pressure sensation vigilance stimulation to be added to the erector muscle of spine by the air bag 3 to be the intensity appropriate to activate the activity of brain cells of the driver D, on the basis of the measured muscle potential. Additionally, a vibration body 7 adds a vibration stimulation to the erector muscle of spine. As a result, the driver D who feels sleepy is effectively kept in the vigilance state.COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT【課題】眠気を催す対象者に適切な覚醒刺激を付加することで対象者を覚醒状態に効果的に維持することが可能な覚醒維持装置を提供する。【解決手段】対象者である運転者Dが眠気を催すと、エアバッグ3が膨張して運転者Dの脊柱起立筋に圧覚刺激の覚醒刺激を付加し、生理計測装置8が脊柱起立筋の活動状態を示すパラメータとしての筋電位を計測し、計測された筋電位に基づいて覚醒維持ECU11がエアバッグ3により脊柱起立筋に付加される圧覚覚醒刺激の強度を運転者Dの脳細胞の活動を活発化させる適切な強度に制御する。加えて、振動体7が脊柱起立筋に振動刺激を付加する。その結果、眠気を催した運転者Dが効果的に覚醒状態に維持される。【選択図】図1
