Dr. Timothy Haskew prepares an initial prototype of a device that monitors carbon dioxide levels and temperature inside vehicles as well as whether the engine is running.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — An average of 37 children die each year in the United States from being trapped inside a hot car, and engineering researchers at The University of Alabama have crafted a solution to prevent these tragic accidents.
The device monitors carbon dioxide levels from human breath inside a vehicle along with temperature and car movement, using computer algorithms to determine when to alert a cell phone.
The UA-engineered device sends alerts to a cell phone if it detects a person or pet is in a vehicle that is off.
With that data, they programmed a sensor to detect the gas and coupled it with a temperature gauge and an accelerometer to detect small vibrations that come from the engine. When it senses the car is off, it begins monitoring heat and CO2 levels. An alert is sent to a cell phone when quickly rising heat and a buildup of the gas are present. Bluetooth technology in the device allows users to program the cell phones to send a text message.