Industrial - Bachelors
The project Over The View™ is the Bluetooth-based 'Forward Pedestrian Collision-Warning (FPCW)' system designed to supplement conditions where the current vision sensing could be neutralised on pedestrian detection.
A study by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that up to 96% of the reported car crashes were caused by human error and were largely preventable. The Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) is identified as having the potential to contribute significantly to road safety from driver carelessness, prompting the Australian government to mandate the installation of Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA) and Automotive Emergency Braking (AEB) on all vehicles produced from 2025. As driver demand for ADAS is also increasing, by 2030, 90% of registered cars worldwide are expected to support level 2+ of ADAS.
However, the limitations of current ADAS also need to be recognised. The Norwegian team investigated the frequency of system activation to verify the validity of ADAS in a typical road environment and found that the activation rate was less than 10% of total driving. A significant factor in the low frequency of ADAS interventions was the driver’s artificial deactivation, which showed low confidence in the function when it was believed that it could affect system malfunctions, such as road and weather conditions. Following the result of this experiment, it could be hypothesised that the setting of the ADAS might have been applied too consistently compared to the actual driving situation.
Still, ADAS operation can reduce the forward collision accident rate by up to 50% and simultaneously minimise pedestrian injury by 30%.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2018.
Vision issue was cited as one of the most influential factors in ADAS awareness, and inaccurate vision could significantly impact driving safety. The project over the view™ explored ways to simultaneously increase the function of the current ADAS and intuitive awareness of the situation facing the driver so that ADAS can operate more for safe operation. As a scenario to realise the function, the ’emergency braking warning system to prevent pedestrian collisions’ was selected.
As the name ‘over the view’ indicates, the design aims to suggest a system that can reliably detect pedestrian collision hazards in most driving environments, even in conditions where vision sensing may not work suitably. As a way of doing that, I chose to consider the Bluetooth RF from the smartphone or wearable device that the pedestrian carries as a pedestrian and provide a warning to the driver when approached closely (2 – 5m).
When developing the initial concept of over the view™, the goal was to operate with the smallest size and minimum power by referring to the design of the Apple Air tag based on ultra-wideband technology. However, I felt limitations in maintaining a small size and low power simultaneously with the Arduino. I had to increase the size by about three times compared to my initial plan by installing larger batteries and charging modules. Adopting larger-sized casing allowed me to diversify system feedbacks (addition of haptic), more intuitive interfaces, and add LED surface luminescence structures.
Despite the minimal design elements, circles placed on a column-based form symmetrically and two-line sidelines, considering the grip, make it easy for the user to recognise the shape and function.
Toggle Switch: Considering that magnetic feedback is transmitted when toggling the component in power on/off of the product, aluminium 6061 is finished with a glass blasting to implement excellent texture and pollution deterrence.
The leading case: Considering that it occupies the most significant part of the exterior and is exposed to direct sunlight, durable ASA plastic was used, which is the same as automobile exterior material, and it was finished with gloss to help the LED surface illumination.
Lower lid: Considering that there can be a lot of friction, such as the vehicle’s dashboard, ABS plastic with a matte-sanded finish was applied to maintain durability for a long time.
I have been trying to minimise the gaps between the joints, which can see in apple products commonly. The zero gaps design makes it free from physical deformation, has the best grip and minimises movement on the dashboard.
over the view™ supercharged by ESP32-C3 for operating Bluetooth 5 communication seamlessly, and the USB-C port supports fast charging, and the finest battery management system on low-power architecture ensures up to 11 hours of running time with a 250mAh battery.
Jonghyun is a Designer who wants to lead optimistic impacts through design on our society. He enjoys exploring intuitive perception through his creations, aiming to reach a finer user experience.