Initial post to web board

Video Lectures

Finding a Problem and Generating Solutions m4v
Diving Deeper m4v
Votingm4v
Reverse Brainstormingm4v, notes
Homeworkm4v

Assignment Description

This exercise is intended to facilitate project brainstorming and team formation. Please see the videos linked below for guidance on brainstorming to find problems and engineering solutions to those problems.

In the first lecture, the course staff will assign you into groups of approximately 8 students to work on this assignment. These are not the groups or projects you will be working with on your course project, they are strictly for this assignment!. Each brainstorming group will use the brainstorming methods outlined in the videos above to come up with problem statements and corresponding solutions. This ideation exercise is intended to stimulate the process of finding a suitable senior design project for this semester but not all problem statements or proposed solutions may fit within the scope of ECE 445.

After the first lecture, all students must make a post on the Web Board. This initial post must consist of either a problem statement or a proposed solution and may be posted as a reply to an existing thread.

Requirements and Grading

Grading will be out of 5 total points and awarded based on the existence of substantive post on the Web Board ("Hello world" type posts will not receive credit).

Submission and Deadlines

The initial Web Board post is due by 11:59pm on the date listed on the Course Calendar. All students must either create or respond to a post. Students posting after the deadline will not receive credit.

Backpack Buddy - Wearable Proximity/Incident Detection for Nighttime Safety

Jeric Cuasay, Emily Grob, Rahul Kajjam

Backpack Buddy - Wearable Proximity/Incident Detection for Nighttime Safety

Featured Project

# Backpack Buddy

Team Members:

- Student 1 (cuasay2)

- Student 2 (rkajjam2)

- Student 3 (eegrob2)

# Problem

The UIUC campus is relatively a safe place. We have emergency buttons throughout campus and security personnel available regularly. However, crime still occurs and affects students walking alone, especially at night. Staying up late at night working in a classroom or other building can lead to a long scary walk home. Especially when the weather is colder, the streets are generally less populated and walking home at night can feel more dangerous due to the isolation.

# Solution

A wearable system that uses night vision camera sensor and machine learning/intelligence image processing techniques to detect pedestrians approaching the user at an abnormal speed or angle that may be out of sight. The system would vibrate to alert them to look around and check their surroundings.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - Processing

Processing

Broadcom BCM2711 SoC with a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 processor or potentially an internal microprocessor such as the LPC15xx series for image processing and voltage step-down to various sensors and actuators

## Subsystem 2 - Power

Power

Converts external battery power to required voltage demands of on-system chips

## Subsystem 3 - Sensors

Sensors

Camera - Night Vision Camera Adjustable-Focus Module 5MP OV5647 to detect objects in the dark

Proximity sensor - detects obstacle distance before turning camera on, potentially ultrasonic or passive infrared sensors such as the HC-SR04

Haptic feedback - Vibrating Mini Motor Disc [ADA1201] to alert user something was identified

# Criterion For Success

The Backpack Buddy will provide an image based solution for identifying any imposing figure within the user's blind spots to help ensure the safety of our user. Our solution is unique as there currently no wearable visual monitoring solutions for night-time safety.

potential stuff:

Potentially: GNSS for location tracking, light sensor for outdoors identification, and heartbeat for user stress levels

camera stabilization

heat camera

Project Videos