Intelligent deployment for automotive restraint systems using low cost infra-red sensors

摘要

Airbags and seatbelts have saved thousands of lives since their introduction onto production cars and have minimised the number and extent of injuries suffered by drivers and passengers. However, in a small proportion of cases, the airbags have actually injured and caused death. Studies have shown that certain factors are partly responsible for making such people susceptible to airbag related injury; predominantly these factors are age, body weight, gender, and sitting position inside the cabin. Some manufacturers have attempted to gain information about the occupant using a mixture of weight sensors (mat, strain gauges etc) and ultrasonic or infra-red sensors, with some success. This research team proposes that the use of infra-red sensors, combined with other types of sensor incorporated inside the cabin will be able to record and process real-time data of the persons position, physical dimensions and movement, thus enabling correct deployment of restraints suited for that particular person. These sensors will be networked with CAN bus since this is the standard data communication controller used in the car industry, and also because of its low cost, reliability and real-time control capability. This paper details the research that other parties have done in this field, and also describes the initial work done and future ideas and work that will be done at Loughborough University's Mechatronics Research Centre, in conjunction with IRISYS Ltd. Although the project is at an early stage, a mock car cabin has been made to allow people of varying sizes and degree of mobility to be tested and to evaluate which people are at risk. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is funding the project by a quota PhD studentship administered by the Faraday PRIME partnership. The industrial company IRISYS Ltd also supports the project.