While much of the car-related technology shown at CES focused on external features, new in-car passenger and drive monitoring systems also were introduced.

DTS, one of the Xperi brands, demonstrated DTS AutoSense, a passenger and driver in-cabin monitoring system

The system can monitor passengers to check if they are wearing seatbelts, to see if a child or pet was left in the car, to tell if someone was smoking and if anyone was texting. It can even tell the blink rate of a person in the car.

The information would be passed along to manufacturers to aid in future car planning and to aid in upcoming mandates and regulations for advanced driving features.

The demonstration I saw at CES was in a BMW, with obvious monitoring technology being shown, though I was told that the technology ultimately would essentially be integrated into in-car technology rather than being obvious to drivers or passengers.

The growth in the capabilities of sensors and camera technology is driving new innovations in automotive, most notably inside the car.

The general idea is to provide information and insights to auto manufacturers so they can determine if what they have designed is effective and provide guidance into what they should design in future vehicles.

Other in-car technologies shown at CES featured numerous screens in a car.