Final Project Proposal

Cell Phone (Demonstration)

Arduino Mega/ Power Supply

Hardware Materials:

Motion Sensor

Circuit Playground

Soldering Iron

3D Printed Cup Holder

Red/White LED Lights (2 of each)

Jumper Wires

Fingerprint Scanner

Software List: 

Arduino

Concept:

Texting is one of the most dangerous things that is done while driving. According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), nearly 20,000 people died in accidents between 2012 and 2017. Teens, aged 15 to 19, are more likely to cause an accident involving their cellphones.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving related accidents killed 3,166 people in 2017. “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds” (NHTSA).

The focus of my project will be to stop the horrible accidents that texting causes from happening. I plan to take an idea that I started in my Design for New Media class last spring (video below). I want to create a system that makes sure texting and driving isn’t the reason for so many deaths in the United States.

The first phase of this system will be an automatic locking device that will be installed in the cup holder of every vehicle on the road. In order to start the car, the driver will have to put their phone in the cup holder and scan their fingerprint. If they decide to remove the phone while driving, the sensor will set off the front and back lights. This will send a warning to others around the driver to stay away from them. The system can only be reset if the driver turns the car off and repeats the process.

The second phase (which will have to be designed at a later time) will have to be coordinated with the USDOT. Once partnered with the USDOT, the flashing lights on the car will cause a photo to be taken of the license plate at every intersection. The third phase will send the most recent location of the car to the closest responding officers. The officers can then give a ticket to the offender.

Project Plan:

•Research

•Experiment with the biometric scanner

•Figure out how to code and program it to a specific print

•Experiment with the motion sensor

          •Figure out how to code and program it to a specific print

•Experiment with the circuit playground (if I go this route)

        • How does this work?
•Experiment with locking the phone in place
       •How?

•Design

•Prototype

•Use the 3D printer to print the cup holder and car

•Install the LED lights into the car

•Solder Circuit Playground as needed

•Install the motion sensor and the biometric scanner

•Coding

•Code the LED lights

•Code the Biometric Scanner

•Code the Motion Sensor

•Test the coding

•Presentation

•Make Video

•Present to Class!

Other Ideas:

Concept:

The focus of this project will be to stop crooks from entering into the home through animals doors. The fingerprint scanner (or in this case, the paw print scanner) will activate the opening and closing of the door. This will be an easy way for the animal to get in and out of the house without letting in unwanted people/animals. The paw print scanner will easily program the animal(s) of the house so they are able to go in and out as they please.

The materials used for this project would include: Arduino, Fingerprint Scanner, hinges, R3 board, door and jumper wires.

Concept:

The focus of this project will make it easier to clean the pool. With the use of an app to control the pool cleaning, you don't have to be home to flip a switch, you can turn RoboVac on from the convenience of your office, while on vacation or simply watching TV in your living room. There is also a start button if you want to manually start it when you are swimming.

The materials used for this project would include: Arudino, R3 board, jumper wires, app, phone, water proof material, motion sensor, cleaning brushes and a cleaning vacuum.

References:

Andrew.currin.ctr@dot.gov. “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” NHTSA, 8 May 2019, www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.

Luis.colon@dot.gov. “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” Luis.colon@Dot.gov, 15 Apr. 2019, www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/distracted-driving/u-drive-u-text-u-pay.