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SafeSeat XVC
In 2020, 24 children died of heatstroke from being left in the back of cars. 2019 saw a record number of 53 children die. We've all heard the horror stories and wonder how anyone could ever forget about their child, but it does happen and the consequences are devastating for the innocents victims. In our age of smart phones, smart watches, and smart TVs, why are our car seats not smart? With this project we will seek to remedy this oversight and in turn attempt to protect the most vulnerable in our society.
Block Diagram
The SafeSeat XVC would attempt to protect and save children by alerting passing pedestrians to a dangerous situation. A sensor in the chest clip will tell if A) The clip is closed, indicating that a child is in the seat and B) that the temperature has reached potentially dangerous levels (105+ F). Once these two criteria are met, the controller will trigger LED warning lights that would flash to try and get the attention of anyone passing by the vehicle. At this point the pedestrian can call for help for the child. While help is hopefully on the way, a Peltier Cooler is activated to try and keep the child's internal temperature from rising. A heat sink will attempt to pull any heat produced by the Peltier away from the child.
There are two similar products available on the market (both using the same technology). The EvenFlo SensorSafe and the Cybex Sirona S both use SensorSafe technology in the chest clip which connects to the parents phone. They send alerts to the parents phone if the child unclips themselves, sits still for too long, or becomes overheated. The Cybex Sirona S takes it a step further by connecting directly to the car as well as the parent's phone. By connecting to the vehicle it can set off a alarm if the car is turned off to remind the parent to remove their child. This alarm is similar to the one that goes off when you leave your key in the ignition.
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Both of these car seats are a good step forward in protecting children. However they rely heavily on one thing, the responsibility of the parents. The parent must always have their phone on them, fully charged, and with the sound on. The problem with this is that the need for a smart car seat is predicated on the parent NOT being responsible (i.e. potentially leaving their child in the car).
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The SafeSeat XVC will try to address this issue by protecting the child after they have been left in a hot car while simultaneously trying to get them help from pedestrians.