14-Year-Old Girl Finds A Way To Solve The Blind Spot Problem In Cars
Every driver is familiar with the dreaded blind spot problem. However, it is more than just an annoyance. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 840,000 car accidents occur due to the blind spot. Those zones which cannot be directly observed by the driver often causes incidents that result in serious property damage and in some cases even fatalities. While drivers can take precautions such as adjusting the driver’s seat and side mirrors properly, installing backup cameras and so on, they won’t eliminate the invisible spots completely. Therefore, the driver will always have to carry the responsibility of being constantly aware of blinds spots as failing to do that can lead to accidents.
Luckily, now there’s a solution for that and it comes from a 14-year-old girl, who doesn’t even have a driver’s license yet.
However, not being able to drive didn’t prevent Alaina Gassler from understanding the important issue of traffic accidents resulting from blind spots.
In fact, she knows the problem so well, that she actually solved it for us. And the way she did it is nothing but genius.
Earlier this week, Alaina Gassler from West Grove, Pennsylvania presented her invention at the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) competition for middle schoolers from the Society for Science and the Public.
Her project is called “Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots” and work in a relatively simple way as she explained: “I did that by having a camera behind the a-pillar of a car and the camera sent the video to a projector that projected the image onto the pillar essentially making it invisible and making the driver see behind it.”
To complete this invention, she used easily attainable materials such as a webcam, projector, and 3D-printed materials that project the view from outside your vehicle onto the blind spots of your car.
Gassler was awarded for her life-saving invention. It earned her the top place in a nationwide competition with the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize in honor of overall STEM excellence.
Watch the video demonstrating how her invention works
Here’s how people reacted:
115Kviews
Share on FacebookThere's already tech out there to sense something in the dangerous blind spot(s) and beep at you if you put on a turn signal to turn into that direction. I'm all up for this idea in the future. I've definitely run into scenarios when I didn't see a pedestrian in this blind spot area. Maybe in the future then use flexible OLED displays instead of a projector. Still impressed by how accurately they got this working. Definitely has potential as a low-budget solution to be added on to current and older cars that don't have this tech.
Load More Replies...This a bad blind spot in my car. Glad someone is working on fixing this.
The idea itself isn't new, read an article about some automakers discussing it maybe a year or more ago. This implementation might have merits in the budget segment but depending on the exact specifics might be to easy to "interrupt" by the driver and/or passenger.
"this implementaton" - WTF? Its a competition entry! By a school kid! This is clearly a proof-of-concept hack. You are obviously no engineer: there is a long road from a PoC to an implementation. Also the concerns you raised should be easy (and obvious) to avoid by camera & projector placement.
Load More Replies...not a driver she doesn't know the real blind spot - the judges should though
It IS a blind spot in my 2009 Nissan Sentra. I have to shift myself forward in the seat to make sure there are no cars or pedestrians hidden by the a-beam. So it's totally real. I bet she got the idea from someone complaining about the family car...
Load More Replies...It IS a blind spot. Pulling up from the underground parking ramp at my work you of course drive over the sidewalk. Check for pedestrians but every once in a while there's that one dude who is walking there but you can't see him because of That Spot. It might not obscure cars, but it does pedestrians.
Many drivers today are not taught how to drive a car correctly. They don't know where to look, when to look, or even what to look for. Mostly young drivers in Japanese cars, who don't know what a blind spot is (I mean the real blind spots at 4 and 8 o'clock), never mind when or how to look in them. The car manufacturers try to fix this by installing cameras and warning systems so they don't have to know what they are doing. Same for turning the headlights on and off. It's like teaching kids to use a calculator without first teaching them to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Consequently these drivers let the car drive them, and they cause more accidents than any other group of drivers, at least in the Silicon Valley where I live. AI, neural networks, and deep learning are part of my job and I know what I am talking about when I say that no computer will never replace the human mind. Autonomous cars will never be fail safe without a competent driver.
Continuing my post. The cameras and warning systems are designed to ASSIST drivers, not take the place of knowing how to drive or checking your blind spots before chancging lanes. That includes how to judge traffic, knowing the driving laws, and lots more. Any idiot can turn a steering wheel and step on the pedals. Knowing when and how much takes knowledge and experience. This is just like the autopilot in my plane. It works great under normal conditions, but it cannot handle emergencies.
Load More Replies...Haha, love all the adults criticizing a F*****G 14 YEAR OLD girl. Sorry you didn't live up to your potential, insecure a******s. This chick is going places.
This technology it's from 2003. I do not understand how she is being credited for inventing this. Complete nonsense.https://youtu.be/S_lVNQOuNrs
I find the 2020 model use in a pickup to let you see "through" your trailer, to be more impressive. I don't care how many cameras a car has, I am of the generation who was taught to turn and LOOK.
Everyone is taught to look. Cameras are to augment safety procedures, not replace them. Everyone is"of the generation" taught to turn and LOOK. You're not special. You are just a fragile, prejudiced idiot. Only an idiot would pretend other generations are not taught to look.
Load More Replies...Funny how my driving instructor 40 years ago had a perfect solution for this problem. He called it anticipating and moving your d@mned head. But since people stopped looking any further than the length of their hood it has become a problem.
Many drivers today are not taught how to drive a car correctly. Mostly young drivers in Japanese cars, who don't know what a blind spot is (I mean the real blind spots at 4 and 8 o'clock), never mind when or how to look in them. They don't know where to look, when to look, or even what to look for. The car manufacturers try to fix this by installing cameras and warning systems so they don't have to know what they are doing. Same for turning the headlights on and off. It's like teaching kids to use a calculator without first teaching them to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Consequently these drivers let the car drive them, and they cause more accidents than any other group of drivers, at least in the Silicon Valley where I live. AI, neural networks, and deep learning are part of my job and I know what I am talking about when I say that no computer will never replace the human mind. Autonomous cars will never be fail safe without a competent driver.
Load More Replies...That is not the blind spot though.... so confused as to how people think that's the blind spot in a car. Smh
Stop this hack s**t when behind wheel, drive like you have sense not lazy if you are to lazy to turn your head and look dont get behind wheel. Sad part I see kids and police more on their phones on road than paying attention. Never would I do this another distraction too stupid to even consider. Please teach your children the proper way. My kids will never have a chance to try these hacks! A 14 year doesn't know nothing about what she is doing. Dangerous this oooo makes me upset. Next a 100% clear car?
Ok that's not the blindspot teens adults need to worry about! The problem is that people are not being trading to use their head to look side to side and behind them they use the MIRRORS! I travel constantly I have been to every state except Alaska and Hawaii and been almost hit by the same problem people using mirrors to merge switch lanes instead of looking! Trying to "fix" mirrors to help with blind spots they even had a commercial at a point here in wichita that showed how to set your mirrors to be able to see these spots! I tried and no does t work. Train your children the right way stay off phones . I ha e lost so many friends and family do to children behind wheels using these hack dont make stuff transparent for convenience makes it worse.
That's not the driver's blind spot. Can hardly fault a 14-yo for not knowing that & what she suggested is a cute idea, but unnecessary....
ermagerd I cant handle not being able to see half of a vehicle or not knowing already what was in that tiny unseen spot
This beam does cause a blindspot. In my car I have to pull myself forward to see around it and can be a problem. One time at night I couldn't see a car in the distance coming from the left side, only saw their flashing lights behind the beam. They had the right of way and if I hadn't hit the breaks I would have been in their way by the time they got to the intersection.
Load More Replies...You're not a licensed driver, eh? Skipped driver training altogether?
Load More Replies...Not everyone was dumb enough to throw money away on a new car.
Load More Replies...Part of the reason they bring up when an innovator is part of a minority is to empower people of that minority. It's about representation and embracing cultural identity so pointing out an innovator is white could be misinterpreted as something similar to things like "white lives matter". Although I do get where you're coming from.
Load More Replies...At least this one would be eligible for one. Greta was pushed by people for world peace. WTF?! Nobel doesn't give out prizes for environmental activism so let's just give her one of the other ones. Why not for physics? Or economics?
Load More Replies...I had a lease where the t-bar was a horrible width and a blind spot. I almost hit a pedestrian that I couldn't see walking at an intersection at all. It's not the "true" blind spot, but it is a hindrance on some vehicles.
Load More Replies...There's already tech out there to sense something in the dangerous blind spot(s) and beep at you if you put on a turn signal to turn into that direction. I'm all up for this idea in the future. I've definitely run into scenarios when I didn't see a pedestrian in this blind spot area. Maybe in the future then use flexible OLED displays instead of a projector. Still impressed by how accurately they got this working. Definitely has potential as a low-budget solution to be added on to current and older cars that don't have this tech.
Load More Replies...This a bad blind spot in my car. Glad someone is working on fixing this.
The idea itself isn't new, read an article about some automakers discussing it maybe a year or more ago. This implementation might have merits in the budget segment but depending on the exact specifics might be to easy to "interrupt" by the driver and/or passenger.
"this implementaton" - WTF? Its a competition entry! By a school kid! This is clearly a proof-of-concept hack. You are obviously no engineer: there is a long road from a PoC to an implementation. Also the concerns you raised should be easy (and obvious) to avoid by camera & projector placement.
Load More Replies...not a driver she doesn't know the real blind spot - the judges should though
It IS a blind spot in my 2009 Nissan Sentra. I have to shift myself forward in the seat to make sure there are no cars or pedestrians hidden by the a-beam. So it's totally real. I bet she got the idea from someone complaining about the family car...
Load More Replies...It IS a blind spot. Pulling up from the underground parking ramp at my work you of course drive over the sidewalk. Check for pedestrians but every once in a while there's that one dude who is walking there but you can't see him because of That Spot. It might not obscure cars, but it does pedestrians.
Many drivers today are not taught how to drive a car correctly. They don't know where to look, when to look, or even what to look for. Mostly young drivers in Japanese cars, who don't know what a blind spot is (I mean the real blind spots at 4 and 8 o'clock), never mind when or how to look in them. The car manufacturers try to fix this by installing cameras and warning systems so they don't have to know what they are doing. Same for turning the headlights on and off. It's like teaching kids to use a calculator without first teaching them to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Consequently these drivers let the car drive them, and they cause more accidents than any other group of drivers, at least in the Silicon Valley where I live. AI, neural networks, and deep learning are part of my job and I know what I am talking about when I say that no computer will never replace the human mind. Autonomous cars will never be fail safe without a competent driver.
Continuing my post. The cameras and warning systems are designed to ASSIST drivers, not take the place of knowing how to drive or checking your blind spots before chancging lanes. That includes how to judge traffic, knowing the driving laws, and lots more. Any idiot can turn a steering wheel and step on the pedals. Knowing when and how much takes knowledge and experience. This is just like the autopilot in my plane. It works great under normal conditions, but it cannot handle emergencies.
Load More Replies...Haha, love all the adults criticizing a F*****G 14 YEAR OLD girl. Sorry you didn't live up to your potential, insecure a******s. This chick is going places.
This technology it's from 2003. I do not understand how she is being credited for inventing this. Complete nonsense.https://youtu.be/S_lVNQOuNrs
I find the 2020 model use in a pickup to let you see "through" your trailer, to be more impressive. I don't care how many cameras a car has, I am of the generation who was taught to turn and LOOK.
Everyone is taught to look. Cameras are to augment safety procedures, not replace them. Everyone is"of the generation" taught to turn and LOOK. You're not special. You are just a fragile, prejudiced idiot. Only an idiot would pretend other generations are not taught to look.
Load More Replies...Funny how my driving instructor 40 years ago had a perfect solution for this problem. He called it anticipating and moving your d@mned head. But since people stopped looking any further than the length of their hood it has become a problem.
Many drivers today are not taught how to drive a car correctly. Mostly young drivers in Japanese cars, who don't know what a blind spot is (I mean the real blind spots at 4 and 8 o'clock), never mind when or how to look in them. They don't know where to look, when to look, or even what to look for. The car manufacturers try to fix this by installing cameras and warning systems so they don't have to know what they are doing. Same for turning the headlights on and off. It's like teaching kids to use a calculator without first teaching them to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Consequently these drivers let the car drive them, and they cause more accidents than any other group of drivers, at least in the Silicon Valley where I live. AI, neural networks, and deep learning are part of my job and I know what I am talking about when I say that no computer will never replace the human mind. Autonomous cars will never be fail safe without a competent driver.
Load More Replies...That is not the blind spot though.... so confused as to how people think that's the blind spot in a car. Smh
Stop this hack s**t when behind wheel, drive like you have sense not lazy if you are to lazy to turn your head and look dont get behind wheel. Sad part I see kids and police more on their phones on road than paying attention. Never would I do this another distraction too stupid to even consider. Please teach your children the proper way. My kids will never have a chance to try these hacks! A 14 year doesn't know nothing about what she is doing. Dangerous this oooo makes me upset. Next a 100% clear car?
Ok that's not the blindspot teens adults need to worry about! The problem is that people are not being trading to use their head to look side to side and behind them they use the MIRRORS! I travel constantly I have been to every state except Alaska and Hawaii and been almost hit by the same problem people using mirrors to merge switch lanes instead of looking! Trying to "fix" mirrors to help with blind spots they even had a commercial at a point here in wichita that showed how to set your mirrors to be able to see these spots! I tried and no does t work. Train your children the right way stay off phones . I ha e lost so many friends and family do to children behind wheels using these hack dont make stuff transparent for convenience makes it worse.
That's not the driver's blind spot. Can hardly fault a 14-yo for not knowing that & what she suggested is a cute idea, but unnecessary....
ermagerd I cant handle not being able to see half of a vehicle or not knowing already what was in that tiny unseen spot
This beam does cause a blindspot. In my car I have to pull myself forward to see around it and can be a problem. One time at night I couldn't see a car in the distance coming from the left side, only saw their flashing lights behind the beam. They had the right of way and if I hadn't hit the breaks I would have been in their way by the time they got to the intersection.
Load More Replies...You're not a licensed driver, eh? Skipped driver training altogether?
Load More Replies...Not everyone was dumb enough to throw money away on a new car.
Load More Replies...Part of the reason they bring up when an innovator is part of a minority is to empower people of that minority. It's about representation and embracing cultural identity so pointing out an innovator is white could be misinterpreted as something similar to things like "white lives matter". Although I do get where you're coming from.
Load More Replies...At least this one would be eligible for one. Greta was pushed by people for world peace. WTF?! Nobel doesn't give out prizes for environmental activism so let's just give her one of the other ones. Why not for physics? Or economics?
Load More Replies...I had a lease where the t-bar was a horrible width and a blind spot. I almost hit a pedestrian that I couldn't see walking at an intersection at all. It's not the "true" blind spot, but it is a hindrance on some vehicles.
Load More Replies...
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