Smart Speed Bumps
Abstract
The research underscores the need and importance of traffic calming devices and provides the basis for designing and building a device for traffic calming in neighborhoods with high pedestrian traffic, particularly children. The thesis focuses on developing a traffic calming device that is responsive to driver behavior rather than a static traffic calming device. The design presented herein involves modifying conventional speed bumps used for calming traffic in areas with high pedestrian traffic. The relevant engineering issues that are addressed include:* The functional requirements of the overall system and each of the system components* Operational challenges* Testing framework for evaluating the system and system components* Other issues such as power requirements and component communications among othersTwo design alternatives have been presented, each having a different deployment mechanism along with a preliminary evaluation of each. A test strategy has also been developed to ascertain operational functionality and make future improvements.