Students of the UPV/EHU patented a device to improve road safety at pedestrian crossings

Four students from the College of engineering of Vitoria - Gasteiz from the University of the country Basque/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, in collaboration with three university professors, have patented a device for the improvement of road safety, consisting of a baden and a tile, that take advantage of the passage of pedestrians and cars to warn them of the danger in the pedestrian steps thanks to Visual and auditory signals. Students presented their device last may at an International Congress on road safety in Santander, organised by the European Institute of Psychology applied (IEPA), where he helped the Ministry of Interior and the DGT, among other institutions.

Ricardo Yepes, Rubén Bécares, Jon Ander Ortega and Jon Sáenz, students of technical engineering, specialty mechanics, in the College of engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz, have come up with a device that consists of three distinct parts (a series of sensitive and autonomous tiles, a baden also sensitive and autonomous, and a sign with led and speaker) with the aim of improving road safety and prevent the large number of violations that occur in crosswalks. All these devices have been protected with the resulting patent. The initiative of the students has counted with the collaboration of the Carlos Gonzalo Gonzalo professors of the Department of mechanical, Iñaki Ochoa de Eribe, of graphic expression and engineering projects, and José Antonio Sainz, of the Department of electronics and telecommunications.

The tile system consists of an embedded internal mechanism, which provides enough energy capable of sending a pulse to the electronic system that has the signal. This mechanism is triggered in a passive way by pedestrians due to the pressure exerted by the weight of the people on the tiles. The baden works in a similar way, but through the pressure exerted by the cars in its path. For its part, the signal has a speaker on the back of a LED on the front of form perimeter and an electronic circuit for receiving, processing and command both the speaker and the LED. "The Mission of the speaker is the cause a noise impact on the pedestrian warning him that a car is approaching." "The Mission of the LEDs is the cause a visual impact to the driver, just when approaching the zebra crossing and it is detected, so you reduce speed and increase the attention", explained the students.

From left to right, the students of engineering Ricardo Yepes, Jon Saenz, Rubén Bécares and Jon Ander Ortega.

To show that the energy generated by the weight of the pedestrian and/or vehicle is sufficient to activate the system of acustico-luminosas signals, they have built a model using the design program Catia and a 3D printing machine, both granted by the College of engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The road sign has been shared by a public institution, and has been reformed and incorporated with LED devices perimeter with the speaker. "The electronic device is a single automaton but sufficient for the requirements needed by the model - comment-." The acoustic and Visual impact that provides device are sufficient and significantly increase the attention of pedestrians and drivers."

According to a study by the Fundación Mapfre, the pedestrian crossings are signposted area where more abuses are produced in Spain, reaching an approximate figure of 11,000 victims every year, of which 550 end up losing their lives. In the European Union, 21% of the fatalities in traffic accidents are pedestrians. This figure increases to 37% in urban areas.

The profile of the victim of trafficking is one person older than 65 years. Children are placed behind them. The first because usually cross the road without taking into account have limited physical faculties, while children burst into asphalt unexpectedly. In 2011, 52% of the deceased in outrage had more than 74 years and 17% had between 65 and 74 years. In relation to the year 2010, have reduced these claims except for the deaths of more than 74 years, which has increased.

One of the main causes of abuse is the distraction by both pedestrians and drivers. Good signs of pedestrian crossings would contribute to increased attention by users, for this reason it was decided to improve day-by-day warnings of danger in these areas. "Our invention aims to warn the proximity of vehicles for pedestrians and the proximity of a zebra crossing for drivers in a way passive, acoustic for passers-by, both visual for drivers," they conclude.