Program Information

Series: Destination Tomorrow
Program: Episode 6
Segment Number: 2 (Watch entire program)
Duration: 00:03:53
Year Produced: 2003
Description:

NASA Destination Tomorrow Segment describing NASA's Child Safety Alert System for automobiles.

NASA's Destination Tomorrow™ is a series of 30-minute programs that focus on NASA research. Each exciting program gives the audience an inside look at NASA and demonstrates how research and technology relate to our everyday lives.

For more information visit: http://destination.larc.nasa.gov/

Transcript

ACCORDING TO A NATIONAL
NONPROFIT SAFETY ORGANIZATION
CALLED KIDS IN CARS,
81 INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN
DIED LAST YEAR
WHILE BEING LEFT UNATTENDED
IN AND AROUND A VEHICLE,
UP NEARLY 100%
FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

IN MANY CASES,
PARENTS SIMPLY FORGET
THEY'VE LEFT
THEIR CHILDREN UNATTENDED,
WHILE OTHERS LEAVE
THEIR CHILDREN IN THE CAR
FOR A FEW MINUTES
TO RUN ERRANDS.

UNFORTUNATELY,
LEAVING A CHILD IN A CAR,
FOR EVEN A SHORT TIME,
CAN END TRAGICALLY,
BECAUSE TEMPERATURES
INSIDE A CAR
CAN SOAR OR PLUMMET
IN JUST A MATTER OF MINUTES.

IN AN EFFORT TO COMBAT
THIS DEADLY PROBLEM,
NASA HAS DEVELOPED
A SAFETY DEVICE
CALLED A CHILD PRESENCE SENSOR.

THIS SENSOR ALERTS PARENTS
WHO INADVERTENTLY LEAVE
THEIR CHILDREN
STRAPPED IN CAR SEATS.

I SPOKE WITH CHRIS EDWARDS
OF NASA LANGLEY'S
LASER SYSTEMS BRANCH
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
THIS FASCINATING INNOVATION.

(Edwards)
WELL, THE INSPIRATION
FOR THE CHILD SAFETY SENSOR
CAME FROM AN INCIDENT
THAT HAPPENED THAT I READ ABOUT
WHERE A CHILD HAD DIED
FROM BEING LEFT IN A VEHICLE.

I REALLY WANTED TO DEVELOP
A TECHNOLOGY
THAT WOULD PREVENT THIS
FROM HAPPENING,
A SORT OF SECOND SET
OF EYES AND EARS.

AND I LOOKED AT TECHNOLOGY
THAT WAS OUT THERE
AND REALIZED
THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY.

THERE'S NOTHING
A CONSUMER COULD PURCHASE
TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.

AND I LOOKED AT
HOW THE INCIDENT OCCURRED
AND THEN REALIZED THAT
THAT COULD REALLY HAPPEN
TO ANYBODY.

BEING THAT A CHANGE IN ROUTINE,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT--
THERE'S USUALLY
A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAPPEN--
I REALLY WANTED TO BREAK
THAT CHAIN OF EVENTS.

SO WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD
AND FORM A TEAM--
TERRY MACK OF LOCKHEED MARTIN,
ED MODLIN OF LANGLEY--
AND DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGY
AND MAKE IT AFFORDABLE,
EASY TO USE
FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON
TO BE ABLE TO JUST INSTALL IT
IN ANY CAR SEAT IN ANY VEHICLE
AND GIVE THEM AND THAT CHILD
A SECOND CHANCE.

(Pulley)
THIS IS HOW
THE CHILD PRESENCE SENSOR WORKS:
A THIN SENSOR IS PLACED
BETWEEN THE CUSHION
AND THE FRAME OF THE BABY SEAT.

THE SENSOR, OR SWITCH,
HAS A LARGE ACTIVATION AREA
WITH THE SENSITIVITY
OF ABOUT EIGHT OUNCES.

ATTACHED TO THE SWITCH
IS A TRANSMITTER
THAT MOUNTS ON THE BABY SEAT.

THE SENSOR SWITCH
TRIGGERS IMMEDIATELY
WHEN A CHILD IS PLACED
IN THE SEAT
AND DEACTIVATES
WHEN THE CHILD IS REMOVED.

THE SENSOR WILL DETECT WEIGHT
ONCE THE CHILD IS PLACED
IN THE SEAT
AND TRANSMITS A UNIQUE CODE
TO A KEY CHAIN ALARM MODULE
WITH A CORRESPONDING
RADIO FREQUENCY.

IF THE DRIVER MOVES TOO FAR AWAY
FROM THE VEHICLE,
A SMALL ALARM BUILT
INTO THE KEY CHAIN
SOUNDS TEN WARNING BEEPS.

IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T RETURN
WITHIN ONE MINUTE,
THE ALARM WILL BEEP CONTINUOUSLY
AND CANNOT BE TURNED OFF
UNTIL IT IS RESET
ON THE TRANSMITTER.

HOW DID NASA CONTRIBUTE
TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THIS CHILD SAFETY DEVICE?

AT NASA, WE HAVE A 757 AIRCRAFT
AS A FLYING LABORATORY
THAT WE USE FOR AVIATION SAFETY,
AND THEY HAVE AN EXPERIMENT
ON THERE THAT TAKES DATA
THAT DEALT WITH THE STRESSES
ON THE LANDING GEAR
AND TRANSMITTING THAT DATA
BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT
WITH A RADIO FREQUENCY LINK.

AND WE TOOK A SIMILAR APPROACH
WITH THE CHILD SAFETY SENSOR
IN THAT, WE MONITOR THE--
IF THE CHILD IS IN THE SEAT,
AND WE SEND THAT DATA
TO THE RECEIVER
WHICH IS ON THE KEY CHAIN
THAT A DRIVER WOULD HOLD.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE
THAT TECHNOLOGY,
AND IT INSPIRED US TO DEVELOP
THE CHILD SAFETY SENSOR.

SO WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR
THE FUTURE OF THIS INVENTION?

(Edwards)
WELL, THE MAIN GOAL
IS TO SAVE LIVES.

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS
TO LICENSE THE TECHNOLOGY.

WE'VE DESIGNED IT
TO BE INEXPENSIVE.

IT'LL COST--IT DEPENDS ON
HOW MANY UNITS ARE PRODUCED,
BUT CERTAINLY, THE $20 TO $30
RANGE IS REASONABLE,
AND THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE CURRENTLY SHOOTING FOR,
SO IF WE CAN GET
A COMMERCIAL PARTNER,
A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY,
MOST ALL OF IT'S BEEN DEVELOPED,
SO IT SHOULD GO TO MARKET
FAIRLY QUICKLY.

WHEN I STARTED THIS,
I REALLY WANTED ANYBODY AT
A DEPARTMENT STORE OR WHATEVER
TO COME AND BE ABLE
TO PULL THIS OFF THE SHELF,
PUT BATTERIES IN IT,
PLACE IT IN THEIR CAR,
AND PROVIDE
THAT SECOND CHANCE.

Virginia Standards

12th Grade SOLs » Science » PH.1
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