UGPTI: Curve Speed Warning System

Project Details

Team Members

• Alex Buchholz
• Nick Ellingson
• Brody Herrmann
• Surya Sharma

Project Description

The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) is interested in experimenting with a new technology to help warn users about speed warnings when going around a curve. Currently, transportation agencies utilize fairly expensive signs at certain distances before curves to warn drivers. However, many of these signs are not dynamic, in that they cannot monitor the driver’s actual speed and warn them about slowing down, however, when dynamic speed warning systems are used, they have shown to be more effective at speed reductions than static warning signs. The goal of the Curve Speed Warning System is to emulate a dynamic warning sign using a smartphone application that can monitor users’ speeds and dynamically warn them if they are approaching the curve at a speed that is considered unsafe. This solution is extremely desirable for UGPTI as proof of concept to providing an affordable alternative that can be used by any driver and promote safer roads for everyone.

Project Video Vision

The instructional video that the UGPTI team plans to create is going to involve a real world application to show how the system can be utilized properly. At the start of the video, a video of the device’s screen running the application will be captured so a high level description of the screens that a user or driver will see can be given. After the introduction and overview are given, two recordings will be captured and displayed - one recording will capture the device’s screen during the demonstration and the other will capture the view from the vehicle itself. These two screens will be synced so the audience can see how the application reacts to the driving situations in real time. During this demonstration, more technical explanations will be given about how the application tracks your location and speed as well as detecting a curve that the driver is approaching. After a couple of demonstrations have been shown, instructions will be given on how to properly stop the application. A conclusion will also be given at this time to summarize some of the important aspects of the application.