Pedestrian Alert System
The Pedestrian Alert System is an invention started in 2012 and funded by the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam initiative. The project continued through 2017 to implement the system in Ethiopia and was presented at the 2014 White House Science Fair. I had the honor of being the technical leader for the invention and presenting the work at numerous events.
This project was the spark for my love of the intersection of art and technology, as well as my pursuit of being an educator.
Invention Statement
Newton North High School's InvenTeam produced a pedestrian alert system for use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the hope of implementation in other areas of the world. The system warns drivers of crossing pedestrians using a dual-sensor method with a processing platform to calculate the arrival time of an oncoming vehicle.
To minimize environmental impact, the system was built partially with used automotive parts, powered entirely by solar energy, and incorporated aesthetics of Ethiopian art and architecture.
Sister School Collaboration
One of our local Ethiopian mentors visited our teammates at Saint Joseph School in Addis Ababa with the required components (including Arduinos) for them to recreate the system. The Ethiopian team of about 8 students and two faculty advisers was enthusiastic about the project and began coding and assembling components immediately.