Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | SMART HELMET WITH LIGHT INDICATORS FOR BRAKES & TURNS |
Jasmehar Kochhar Sanjivani Sharma Will Salazar |
Nithin Balaji Shanthini Praveena Purushothaman | design_document3.pdf final_paper2.pdf photo1.jpg photo2.jpg photo3.jpg photo4.jpg presentation1.pdf proposal2.pdf |
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| Team Members: - Jasmehar Kochhar (kochhar4) - Sanjivani Sharma (sharma74) - William Salazar (wds3) # Problem Motorcycle riders account for 14% of all traffic fatalities, despite the fact only 3% of all registered vehicles are motorcycles, and “The number of motorcyclist fatalities in 2021 increased by 8 percent from 2020, from 5,506 to 5,932.”[https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813466.pdf](url) According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States Department of Transportation, “More than other vehicle drivers, motorcyclists must remain visible at all times, and anticipate what might happen.” We want to address this safety problem. Lane splitting is a common practice endorsed by American Motorcyclist Association, wherein a motorcycle’s narrow width can allow it to pass between lanes of stopped or slow-moving cars on roadways where the lanes are wide enough to offer an adequate gap. We believe to address all of the above, visibility to other vehicles, aiding lane splitting and reducing fatality, it is essential to remove ambiguity about the motorcyclist’s path and make turn signals and braking more visible. # Solution We propose to solve the issues outlined above by incorporating LED indicators on a helmet for braking and turning. This will make riders a lot more visible than traditional turn signals on motorcycles that are fitted with those. # Solution Components For testing this project, we will be using the motorcycle and helmet kindly being provided to us by Eric Sylvester, the Student Relations Officer of the Illini Motorcycle Club. We are working with a 2013 Kawasaki ZX-6R. ## Subsystem 1: Light Sensor subsystem Light Sensor: Light-to-Digital Sensor TSL2561 Microcontroller: ESP32 External Pull-up resistors The TSL2561 will communicate via I2C (multi-master, multi-slave) bus with ESP32, and will allow us to read the light intensity data from the turn signal. This will be affixed to our PCB in the motorcycle itself (can be accommodated under the seat discreetly). ## Subsystem 2: Bluetooth Subsystem - Helmet & Motorcycle Communication The ESP32 is also used for its Bluetooth communication capabilities, which eliminates the need for an additional Bluetooth module. We plan to use BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) for keeping our power usage efficient. It will be used both as a transmitter and a receiver. One will be affixed to our main circuit, and the other will be fixed to the helmet to transmit light sensor data. ## Subsystem 3: Helmet Lighting Subsystem - The Helmet lighting Subsystem will be connected to ESP32 connected in the helmet which would be acting as a receiver from the main circuit connected to the motorcycle. It will turn on the LEDs present in the helmet. - The Turn Signal LEDs will be on the upper side of the helmet so that it doesn't obstruct the peripheral view of the rider by being too bright. Something that we kept in mind is that the majority of road accidents relating to lights on the motorcycle are due to left turns, so we made sure that the LED would be seen from the front as well. The brake light on the other hand only needs to be seen from the back - The helmet will be a bigger size than normal and will have extra padding so that the power system and bluetooth system are not in direct contact with the rider's head white still being a good fit. - LEDs: Red and amber LEDs to be affixed to the helmet to be compliant with Illinois law. To avoid compromising with the structural integrity of the helmet, we will be doing it using strong adhesive/velcro strips. ## Subsystem 4: Power Management Subsystem - For the components connected to the motorcycle they will be connected to the Fuel Injector Output Voltage which only supplies power when the motorcycle is on, so the system should not drain the power when the motorcycle is not in use. (For simplicity purposes initially we will be using a separate battery pack for the system connected to the motorcycle and this may be a stretch goal.) - The rechargeable batteries will be present inside the helmet to power up the ESP and the LEDs. - LM7805 Voltage Regulator - step down the voltage from the battery to LEDs - Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery - allows recharging of the helmet. - Battery Managing IC TI BQ76930 - Monitor overcharging of the battery as a safety mechanism. - nMOS power switch - Control power to our LEDs. - Due to the possibility of the battery heating up and to maintain they safety of the helmet the battery pack will be in cased in flame retardant fiberglass bag [https://www.amazon.com/Fireproof-Temperature-Resistant-Retardant-Explosion/dp/B0CF9KGNQ7](url) that would be stitched up to fit the battery pack. # Criterion For Success - When the motorcycle’s right turn signal illuminates and blinks, the helmet's right LED should illuminate and blink. The same relationship should apply to the left LED. - When the motorcycle applies its brakes and its brake lights illuminate, the helmet’s brake light should illuminate. When the brakes are released, the LED should turn off. - When the turn signal is turned off, the LED turn signals on the helmet should turn off. When the brake is not activated, the brake LED should turn off. - Latency for the helmet LED lighting up, especially the brake, should be very low, ideally as low as possible to communicate in real time precisely the moment when brakes have been applied. - The safety measures and pre-existing performance of the motorcycle are not compromised while executing the project or upon completion. ## Proposal for Expansion Only 11 US[https://www.eaglelights.com/blogs/news/does-a-motorcycle-need-front-turn-signals](url) states require front turn signals, and a lot of riders make do without them, instead using only hand gestures. This is even more common in other countries of the world [in this [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/some-hand-signals-you-must-know-motorcyclist-ravi-singh/](url) blog, this gentleman outlines hand signals all motorcyclists should know for their safety in lieu of turn signals]. For motorcycles that do not come equipped with their own turn signals, we propose to incorporate a simple indicator type set-up, similar to cars, where you can affix a lever/switch to signal your turn intention, and have it communicated via Bluetooth to the above outlined helmet-LED display. This would be modular in design and easy to add to an existing motorcycle as a part of our signaling system. This would require the addition of a Turn Signal Activation Subsystem as follows: ## Bonus Subsystem 5: Turn Signal Activation Subsystem Button on handlebar: The buttons on respective handlebars can be added to signal whether the rider wants to turn left or right. Our PCB set up will receive signals from buttons about the rider's intention to turn. It will also control communication with the helmet LEDs using Bluetooth as outlined in Subsystem 2. Subsystem 3 remains the same to display the turn signals. Subsystem 4 remains the same to supply power.  |
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