The inspiration behind SafeCross came from observing the challenges that blind and visually impaired people face at street crossings. A simple mistake such as crossing during the wrong light can result in life-threatening danger. We wanted to design a system that not only alerts pedestrians in real time but also interacts with traffic lights to prevent accidents. Our motivation was to contribute to the vision of inclusive smart cities, where accessibility and safety are built into the infrastructure.
How We Built It:
We created a hardware simulation using: ESP8266 for processing and control Touch sensors to simulate unsafe car activity when crossing Ultrasonic sensors to detect objects and activity near the crosswalk LEDs to represent traffic lights on a breadboard circuit
The ESP8266 processes sensor data and determines if a pedestrian is crossing unsafely. If so, the system:
Triggers an alert for the blind pedestrian. Overrides the traffic lights by changing LED states. This simulates how IoT devices could integrate into real traffic infrastructure.
What We Learned
How to integrate multiple sensors with a microcontroller to create a responsive system. Basics of traffic control logic and how it can be adapted for accessibility. Designing with user inclusion in mind, ensuring that solutions extend to people with disabilities. Hands-on practice with IoT concepts like sensor fusion and event-driven programming.
Challenges We Faced
Synchronizing sensors: Ensuring that the ultrasonic and touch sensors worked in harmony without producing false triggers. Timing logic: Building the right logic for traffic light states and alerts to feel realistic. Hardware limitations: Simulating a real street environment using only breadboard components. Accessibility design: Thinking beyond just functionality, focusing on how the system could genuinely help blind users.
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