A small, inexpensive sensor could save lives by triggering an alarm when children or pets are left alone in vehicles.
A small, inexpensive sensor could save lives by triggering an alarm when children or pets are left alone in vehicles.
The new device, developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo, combines radar technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to detect unattended children or animals with 100-per-cent accuracy.
Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand at just three centimetres in diameter, the device is designed to be attached to a vehicle’s rear-view mirror or mounted on the ceiling.
It sends out radar signals that are reflected back by people, animals and objects in the vehicle. Built-in AI then analyzes the reflected signals.
“It addresses a serious, world-wide problem,” said George Shaker, an engineering professor at Waterloo. his system is so affordable it could become standard equipment in all vehicles.”
Read more at University of Waterloo
Image: Graduate students Mostafa Alizadeh, left, and Hajar Abedi position a doll, modified to simulate breathing, in a minivan during testing of a new sensor. CREDIT: University of Waterloo
