Abstract
Traffic accidents on highways are attributed mostly to the "invisibility" of oncoming traffic and road signs. "Speeding" also causes drivers to reduce the effective radius of the vehicle path in the curve, thus trespassing into the lane of the oncoming traffic. The main aim of this paper was to develop a multisensory obstacle-detection device that is affordable, easy to implement and easy to maintain to reduce the risk of road accidents at blind corners. An ultrasonic sensor module with a maximum measuring angle of 15° was used to ensure that a significant portion of the lane was detected at the blind corner. The sensor covered a minimum effective area of 0.5 m2 of the road for obstacle detection. Yellow light was employed to signify caution while negotiating the blind corner. Two photoresistors (PRs) were used as sensors because of the limited number of pins on the microcontroller (Arduino Uno). However, the device developed for this project achieved obstacle detection at blind corners at relatively low cost and can be accessed by all road users. In real-world applications, the use of piezoelectric accelerometers (vibration sensors) instead of PR sensors would be more desirable in order to detect not only cars but also two-wheelers.
Design, manufacture and testing of a prototype obstacle-detection device at blind corners: an automated highway system technology