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  Right Distance Logo

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  Right Distance Icon

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  Example of application of RD in a public space

Inspiration

When the lockdown will end, we will resume all the activities and we must maintain a safety distance of at least one meter between us at school, in the shops and at the workplace. How will we do it? How will we be able to realize if it is the right distance to be safe and give peace of mind to other members of the community? This is exactly what inspired us to create RightDistance. The solution was derived by observing a very common bicycle safety device and by Fifa Soccer, a very popular game, in which there is a "trainer" function that which allows to locate easily the player while he is in possession of the ball.

What it does

RightDistance is a wearable laser device that projects a luminous circle of two meters in diameter on the ground around the people who wears it. The device allows you to always know your own safety space and to keep this distance from other people who are present in a room, at the supermarket and in public places. In addition, the visibility of the safety distance will allow teachers, shopkeepers, law enforcement agencies, etc. to manage and better control distances, especially in the moments in which the presence of a large number of people will occur simultaneously. The device will have an on/off button, a dimmer to modulate the intensity of the light during day and night and, finally, a flashing function with a certain intermittence to give greater and more emphasis to the safety circle. The equipment can also be used by pedestrians during the night to signal their presence in the absence of public lighting.

How I built it

The device is still under development. The technology of laser pointers is consolidated and there are applications on the market at very low cost, light and with very low power supplies. The problems we are facing are three. The first concerns the wearability of the device. That is, whether to insert the device inside a belt, which would work very well in the workplace or inside anklets that could easily be worn by anyone, even by children. The second, concerns the alignment between the pointers to make sure that the projection is always homogeneous. At the moment, we are using an Arduino platform. The third is the control system that could be analog on board or through an App to be installed on a smartphone.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

Thanks to RightDistance it will be possible to solve one of the main problems that will occur after the lackdown, namely the fear and suspicion of people in interacting with others. Furthermore, the device will protect children who do not perceive the danger but who could live this experience as a game.

What's next for RightDistance

The device can be industrialized and placed on the market very quickly and at very cheap prices so that it can be used by the whole family. Considering the need for public authorities to control the effective respect of distances and considering the low production cost, the device could be purchased by the public authority and distributed to all citizens.

Built With

• arduino