Project Proposal
Prepared for: Dr. EmekaOguejiofor, P.Eng, Paul Doirion, P.Eng
Prepared by: Brayden Porrier, Dylan BastinDeCoste, Ross Bagnell, Robyn van Zutphen
February 7, 2016
Course: ENGR 232
Problem Identification
In Canada, 90% of children aged 1-4 years, who drown were not supposed to be in the water at all (Red Cross Canada , 2013). According to research the majority of children who drown are not kids in swimming lessons, or kids being supervised by a lifeguard at a pool—they are toddlers and young children whose parents lost sight of them while supervising. Had the parents been aware that the child was near water the drowning could have been prevented. The device proposed in this document will help to reduce the amount of drownings due to unintentional water entries of young children and non-swimmers.
Background Information
The risk of drowning is inevitable with young children in the presence of water. According to the Canadian Red Cross Society, children under the age of 4 have the highest risk of drowning among all ages. From all drowning deaths, 19% are caused by unexpected falls into water; children under the age of 4 account for 21% of these fatalities. These deaths are usually occurring with supervision being too far away or not fully attentive. Proper supervision is the key to reducing the amount of drowning deaths among children. Technology has created different ways to help with supervision in the form of automated drowning safety systems. These systems currently use stationary mounted cameras to detect if a person is drowning as shown in figure 1. This safety technology uses cameras above and below the surface of the water to track the motion and number of swimmers. When a swimmer becomes static for too long, the cameras central computer senses this event and alerts the lifeguard. The camera system senses only when a swimmer has become still for a specific period of time, not a swimmer who should not be in the water at all.
In the past year, a company has produced a different solution to the drowning safety system. Instead of mounted cameras in pools, they designed a wearable drowning detecting headband that is shown in figure 2. The headband senses whether the user is drowning or not and alerts the users guardian by a Bluetooth enabled signal transferred to an IOS or Android device. This technology is intended for users with home pools and is not a replacement for strict supervision. This system only alerts the guardian of the swimmer if he or she has their cellular device present. This design restricts the alert to a specific device or connected devices rather than alerting everyone in the immediate area at the time of the incident.
Viability of Product
The market cost of this product is projected to be in the range of 60-100 USD, which is par with the similar water safety devices on the market. The usability of this product will be an everyday accessory, comparable to a wristwatch. The product wristband will be comfortable for the child to wear everyday, and will not hinder the child’s mobility or actions. The only regular up keep of the product will be the replacement or charging of the battery. This product is an extra measure to ensure the safety of your child around water but is not a replacement for supervision. For these reasons we believe this product will be marketable.
Solution Method
The method selected for solving this problem is an electronic wristband that wirelessly communicates with a receiver unit. The wristband is to be worn by the child; the receiver is to be monitored by his or her guardian. The wristband will be made waterproof in order to protect the electronic components within: an XBee wireless chip, water sensor, wiring, and batteries. The system will maintain a near continuous wireless link while in operation. If the sensor detects the presence of water, the receiver will be alerted. If the continuous wireless link is disrupted (e.g. due to submersion), contact with water will be assumed and the receiver will be alerted.
Project Specifications
The wristband will be made out of spandex. It will have a pouch that stores a waterproof container that houses the electronic components. The face size of the container will be roughly 2 x 2 (in) and have a depth of roughly 0.25 (in). It will also feature a childproof buckle to prevent accidental removal. The parent unit will be made out of plastic, and will also be made water proof. It will be roughly 5 (in) tall and have a base of 3 x 6 (in). A light and speaker will be put on the receiver to alert the supervisor.
Special Considerations
One limitation is the size of the electronic transmitting unit. In order for it to fit comfortably the transmitting unit needs to be small, however it still needs to be able to send a large enough signal to reach the parent unit at reasonable distance. Another consideration is ensuring that the device cannot harm the child. The waterproof coating to be applied must be made out of materials not harmful to a child who may insert it into their mouth, as well as enclosing it in a spandex pouch.
Resources
Resources include space to design, build and test the project, as well as the hardware and software used to build our design. Codeblocks will be used to write the code for the electronics. The circuits lab will be used to build and test the wristband and receiver. It will likely be tested using the St.FX pool in the Oland center. A 3D printer will be used to print the container for the wristband, and the receiver box. The XBeelilypad, water sensor, receiver, wiring, and battery systems will be purchased online. Dr. Frank Comeau has consulted with our group about the electronic components of the project.
Project Schedule
In the Broad System Design phase the general design will be decided upon. Assuming no major changes are made to the general design, the Sensor Research and Design phases will begin following the completion of the Broad System Design phase. Water sensing technologies will be investigated, and the information gained as a result will be used in the design of a purpose-specific sensor. Once the sensor design is decided upon and its dimensions are confirmed, the Waterproof Enclosure Design phase may begin. Testing of a first prototype will follow, and modifications to the system will be made depending on the results. Design of the wristband will occur throughout the prototyping and System Modification phases, as the design of the wristband depends primarily on the design of the enclosure. The project is set to come to completion a week before it is due to be presented. The ghantt chart for this project can be viewed in figure 3.
Project BUDGET
Description / Quantity / Unit Price / CostXBee Explorer / 1 / $25 / $25
LilypadXBee / 1 / $15 / $15
Mini Breadboard / 1 / $4 / $4
20mm coin cell holder / 1 / $2 / $2
Arduino uno microcontroller / 1 / $25 / $25
XBee Adapter / 1 / $10 / $10
XBee 1mW Chip / 2 / $23 / $46
Sensor and buzzer circuits / 1 / $7 / $7
Miscellaneous (enclosures, wires, batteries etc.) / 1 / $14 / $14
Total / $148
References
Drowning Research Information from the Canadian Red Cross - Canadian Red Cross. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
iSWIMBAND - The Ultimate Drowning Detection Device. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
SwimEye | Drowning detection systems. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
Near-DrowningsIn 4 Days - 5 Ways They Could Have Been Prevented. (2015). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
ISwimband keeps kids safe by the pool - Cool Mom Tech. (2014). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
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