Assignment 5: Blind Spot Warning System

Problem

How does a vehicle operator gain agency over potential objects in their blindspot? Often the solution is to check all mirrors, but there are very realistic occasions in which this does not work.

Solution

A series of vibrating and tapping motors would allow drivers to tell if there were vehicles or objects in there blindspot. The array of devices would be positioned under the seat and in the seatback, pulsing the left or right side to indicate blindspot object position. Additionally, while parked with the car off, the doorhandle would vibrate if the vehicle sensed incoming objects, such as in the case of a cyclist approaching the driver side door.

Proof of Concept

An ultrasonic sensor would serve as an object detector. When the ultrasonic senses an object in the near vicinity, the device will signal a solenoid motor to tap every few seconds, assuming the “vehicle is running”. If the vehicle is in fact not running, the device will signal the “car handle” dime motors, depending on which side the object appears.

hapticDrivingDemo

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