Gadget Renesas

Linking Ideas and Electronics

GR Atelier

Title:Comfort Stroller (Comfort Baby Car)

Displayed Name:Team Bamboo

Comfort Stroller (Comfort Baby Car)

Concept / Overview
This system both protects infants in strollers from the heat stroke risk and makes it easier for parents to protect their infant from heat stroke.
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Idea

1. Idea and Issues
Do you take measures against heat stroke for your baby when riding in a stroller? Heat stroke is a word that we often see on TV and in the newspaper in the summer. As a measure against heat stroke, many people drink water or avoid sunlight. However, according to the report of Trend Research Institute, only 14% of mothers answered "I am taking measures against heat stroke for my baby in the stroller".  A baby in a stroller is closer to the ground than a standing guardian and is exposed to a higher temperature (3 - 5 ℃ higher) than the guardian. In addition, infants can not hydrate themselves on their own, and their thermoregulation function is underdeveloped, so they have a greater risk of heat stroke than do adults.

The system, we developped this time, visualizes temperature data from the perspective of an infant in a stroller, notifies the data to the parent and suggests effective countermeasures. Realizing this system will make infants and their parents/grandparents across the country very happy. In particular, it makes it easier for parents to take measures  against heat stroke for their babies and children while walking outside.

2. Goal and Solution
This system is to save an infant in a stroller from the risk of heat stroke. It also enables parents to easily take measures against heat stroke for their infants. In order to prevent heat stroke, we built the following system.
(1) When the inside of the stroller goes over a certain temperature, the system lowers the temperature by turning on the fan attached to the stroller.
(2) The system notifies the parent's smartphone according to stroller's status. For example, it encourages parents to take shade from the sun when infants are exposed to direct sunlight, and it shows examples of actions to prevent heat stroke in accordance with the heat index (note 1).
(3) By visualizing the inside temperature and humidity of the stroller, the parent can confirm the situation inside the stroller with their smartphone.

This system consists of GR-SAKURA, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and Bluetooth module.  It monitors the status of the stroller and communicates with the smartphone. The application was developed to all the system to receive notifications from a smartphone. The system using GR-SAKURA is planned to be miniaturized so that it will not feel uncomfortable even if it is attached to a stroller. To minituraize the system, we will switch from GR-SAKURA to GR-KURUMI and use surface mount parts. We will also install an LCD on the system for people who do not have smartphones.

Note 1:  The heat index is a numerical value for judging the risk of heat stroke.
 

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Demo video

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Description and Source Code

We constructed the following device to help prevent heat stroke.

(1) The device notifies the parent's smartphone according to the stroller internal status. For example, the device sends a warning to prevent heat stroke in accordance with the temperature and UV index (*1) around the infant.
 
(2) By visualizing the temperature and humidity inside the stroller, the guardian can confirm the baby's condition inside the stroller via their smartphone.

This device consists of GR-SAKURA, temperature sensor, UV sensor, and Bluetooth module. The device monitors the status of the stroller and communicates via a smartphone. You can also receive notification from the device by using the original smartphone application.

In future, we would like to improve the effectiveness of the configuration as a heat stroke control system by adding a humidity sensor.


*1:  UV index is the index of ultraviolet intensity.
 

System configuration: 

The system mainly consists of the following three points: 

The system consists mainly of the following functions:
- When the inside of the stroller rises above a certain temperature, the system lowers the temperature by turning on the fan attached to the stroller.
- Notifies the parent's smartphone according to the situation. For example, it shows an action example to encourage parents to take shade from the sun when infants are exposed to direct sunlight, and to prevent heat stroke in accordance with the heat index.
- By visualizing the temperature and humidity inside the stroller, the guardian can confirm the baby's situation inside the stroller at hand.
 

BOM:

Name# # Reference
GR-SAKURA 1  
Vanilla shield for Arduino 1  
NTC thermistor 1 10kΩ, Murata
Resistor 1 10kΩ,0.1%
BLESerial3 1  
UV sensor 1 Model number: GUVA-S12SD
Smartphone 1 Android device

Circuit Diagram:

 

Team Bamboo

GR Design Contest 2017 Finalist

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