Fiat has introduced a novel metric for car enjoyment: smiles per hour (SPH). The concept was tested by having a journalist drive the new electric Grande Panda while a webcam monitored their facial expressions to detect genuine smiles. Developed with cognitive scientist Dr Duncan Williams, the system uses Google AI's MediaPipe facial geometry framework to map 500 points on the face, focusing on mouth movements associated with smiling.
The test aimed to move beyond traditional performance figures like acceleration and top speed, which Fiat argues do not reflect how much a car makes people happy. Dr Williams explained that the software distinguishes real smiles from movements caused by bumpy roads by using the distance between the eyes as a reference point and smoothing data with a moving average technique.
During a 15-minute drive, the system was calibrated to the driver's neutral face and then tracked smile-inducing moments, scaling the results to an hourly rate. Fiat claims the Grande Panda averaged 258.1 SPH in its study, with the electric version scoring 259.5 and the hybrid 257. The test driver's personal score has not been disclosed.
