Look Left
A smart traffic safety concept for the next generation of urban pedestrians
Semester Project 2019/20
Interdisciplinary Group Project
Duration
6 months
Supervisors
Supervised by Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller-Birn (Human-Centered Computing / FU Berlin), Prof. Thomas Ness (Product Design / KH-Berlin weißensee), Judith Glaser (M.A. Product + Interaction Design)
Tasks
Project Management, UI Design, Prototyping & Testing, Packaging Design, Final Graphics & Photography
Look Left
A smart traffic safety concept for the next generation of urban pedestrians
Pedestrians are typically the most vulnerable party in traffic accidents, with the highest counts of injury and fatality.
Especially if one isn’t familiar with the urban environment, passers-by are more likely to fall victim to the disparity between them feeling safe while carelessly crossing smaller streets and the likelihood of being hit by an approaching vehicle. Local inhabitants on the other hand are mostly aware which streets to cross carefully.
LOOK LEFT converts this local knowledge into a valuable solution that educates the next generation of smart city inhabitants and prevents accidents. Teenagers take part in a project week, where they learn to build smart devices to help improve local traffic safety.
An Open Source Idea
The project groups get a DIY electronics kit, with which they build and program two smart devices. Step-by-step instructions can be found on the Look Left website. The workshop group takes responsibility for monitoring, installing and uninstalling the devices, which are designed for disassembly, so they get sent back for re-use. Any issues with the project can be highlighted on the ‘Look Left’ website, and this feedback helps to improve future iterations.
The Traffic Camera
The Traffic Camera is a modified version of the OpenDataCam by Moovel Lab. That project consists of a camera attached to a mini computer which can understand and quantify moving objects, like approaching vehicles.
Look Left has extended this open source project with another component: a LORA chip with antenna, which is driven by an Arduino Nano to send a signal when counting a passing object.
The design of the traffic camera is based on an open source packaging design by Oliver Brückner for the original OpenDataCam and is intended to quote its look, but also develop it further.
Main Parts
NVIDIA Jetson Board
Webcam
LORA Chip+ Antenna
Arduino Nano
Breadboard
Cables
Pre-lasered Acrylic Plates for mounting
Lamp socket
Fabric band with a clasp
The Warning Device
The warning device consists of an LED Panel powered and controlled by an Arduino. This device is the voice of our traffic camera, warning pedestrians from approaching vehicles.
The panel shows a short animation. When no signal comes in the stylized eyes of the Look Left can be seen on the panel. When a vehicle is approaching, the animation changes to a moving symbol of that approaching object.
The design of the Warning Device is based on an inherit DIY Look and it‘s function.
The bright orange is supposed to catch ones eye with the LED panel as ones focus point.
The Main Parts
LED Panel
Breadboard
LORA Chip + Antenna
Arduino Nano
Cables
Pre-lasered Acrylic Plates for mounting
Acrylic socket for the LED Panel
Fabric band with a clasp
