Development of a speed warning device for micro-mobility devices

• Main Author: Goh, Josh Jian Feng
• Other Authors: Yap Fook Fah
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/166821
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Micro-mobility devices refers to lightweight and small wheeled transportation devices that can be human or electric powered. Some examples include bicycles, electric scooters, and electric bicycles. Recently, countries have been actively promoting such devices as alternatives means of transport as its small form factor reduces congestion. Currently, micro-mobility devices account for as much as 50% to 60% of total passenger miles travelled in China, European Union, and United States. However, in certain places, existing legislature, or infrastructure forces users of micro-mobility devices to share road space with other road-users like cars and other motor vehicles. The appealing nature of such devices coupled with its exposed nature puts an increasing number of users at great risk of injury or even death in an event of an accident between them and motor vehicles. The aim of this project is to develop a relatively cheap and compact device that can reliably warn micro-mobility device users of approaching vehicles from the rear of the user, a common blind spot, and warn approaching vehicles that a micro-mobility device user is present on the road ahead of them. The project utilised computer vision and artificial intelligence to detect incoming vehicles. The use of 3D printing was also prevalent in the design and production of a functioning prototype. The final prototype was able to detect incoming vehicles from ~30m away and distinguish between vehicles that posed a threat to the user and those that did not.