A Sustainable IOT Approach to Child Presence Detection in Vehicles Using PIR Sensors and GPRS Communication

Abstract

Leaving children unattended in a parked vehicle had already become a major concern, especially related to death caused by heatstroke or “Forgotten Baby Syndrome”, including the risk of car theft. Motion Guard is a product designed to increase the efficiency of vehicle safety systems and provide a sense of security to vehicle owners, specifically parents and guardians. Even with a variety of inventions and technologies, there's a need for an effective, low-cost, real-time alert system capable of detecting the presence of children in parked vehicles. This research focuses on fulfilling these needs by presenting a sustainable Internet of Things (IoT) based child presence detection system to monitor and send fast alerts in order to increase car safety. Motion Guard has merged an ESP32 microcontroller with a Passive Infrared (PIR) and GPRS communication module to provide real-time alert notifications while the engines turn off. When motion is detected, the system will automatically send a Telegram notification within 10 seconds. The Telegram application was selected for its low storage requirements and user-friendliness. Moreover, this innovation implemented solar power technology to avoid frequent battery replacements, which would otherwise compromise the product's effectiveness. This study used an online questionnaire via Google Forms, distributed to vehicle owners, to collect data on experiences, awareness, and community needs regarding this new system. Results showed that 67.50% of survey participants rated the invention as a “Very Effective” system, indicating that the system was strongly recognised by users. The outcome has shown that Motion Guard provides a dependable and effective solution to decrease the risk of child death issues in relation to leaving children unattended in parked vehicles and vehicle-related crime, consequently promoting a safer society.