Technical Report - Proposal to Install Health-Monitoring Sensors in Vehicles

Problem Statement
An ideal car should be fitted with health monitoring sensors. However, the sensors present in cars today do not have the capability to monitor the health condition of the driver. The goal is to introduce electrocardiogram (ECG) and drowsiness sensors to monitor the driver’s condition in cars.

Proposed Solution

The proposed solution is to implement the installation of ECG sensors into the driver’s seat of cars and drowsiness sensors on the top of the dashboard of cars as it has the most interaction with the driver. These sensors will allow drivers to monitor their current condition and enable the vehicles to react to emergencies when it detects that the driver is unwell. Drivers might be unaware that they are not feeling well when they are driving, and to close this gap, the sensor will be triggered and send a warning to the driver to inform them of the trigger cause. 

Having the ECG sensor on the driver’s seat will constantly monitor the pathway of electrical impulses through the heart muscle and provides detailed information on the heart’s response to injured tissues, exertion, nerve conduction. The drowsiness sensor will be placed on top of the dashboard of cars as it is stationary and it will help give a more accurate measurement. The sensor determines how long the driver’s eyes have been closed. If the sensor detects that the driver’s eyes have been closed for a certain amount of time, the sensor assumes that the driver is starting to doze off. The car will then sound an alarm to wake them up and grab their attention.

Benefits
The use of ECG sensor and drowsiness sensor is to monitor the driver’s conditions before the driver moves off and when the driver is driving. The health and wellness of the driver play a key role in determining the passengers, other road users as well as their own safety. The 4 benefits that can be attributed to this are: Safety, Enhanced User Experience, Multifunction and Awareness.

Conclusion

The proposed solution of having sensors in vehicles addresses the problem by reducing the chance of an accident happening due to drowsiness or health conditions. With assistance from automotive companies, the adoption of ECG and drowsiness sensors will be swift and ultimately help to reduce the number of road accidents each year.

Final Assignment - Critical Reflection

At the start of the trimester, my goal was to develop my communication skills and become more confident in public speaking. I still remember writing my introduction letter to Professor Blackstone, detailing the periods during Temasek Polytechnic and National Service. Back then, I was rather reserved and did not like to speak up often. Under the guidance of Professor Blackstone, I was able to muster up the courage to speak to my class and even do my presentation with a confident posture. For my group’s final presentation, I did multiple rehearsals on my own before meeting the group on Zoom for a full rehearsal. Even with multiple rehearsals, I still felt the butterflies in my tummy when I stood in front of the class for my opening speech. The peers in my different assignment groups have also helped me greatly, we were able to improve our language use in letter and report writings by doing peer reviews and providing constructive feedback for each other. I was able to pinpoint the grammar mistakes that I commonly commit unknowingly, and amend it before submissions. Overall, I felt that the goals I had set for myself at the start of the trimester were reasonably satisfied. However, I would like to keep improving on my speaking skills, showing my best self when I go for the Integrated-Work-Study-Program.

The first challenge we faced as a group was to brainstorm for an idea that we all agreed on. As we all came from different backgrounds, we had some major disagreements when it came down to decision-making. This caused a slight delay in our project timeline, as we struggled to craft our Problem/Purpose Statements. We eventually decided to go with a “Health-monitoring Vehicle” concept, and we managed to delegate the tasks well before the break. Due to my strong-headed personality nature, there were times where the group would be at a standstill due to indecisiveness. Having to do a report from scratch is not an easy task, and it would not have been possible if not for the contribution from each group member. All in all, I am delighted with the outcome of our report.

Looking back on how our group connected with each other, I felt that they looked past my flaws and addressed issues that I should take note of even when the situation was not pleasant. I am very thankful for being part of this group and look forward to working with them again in the future.