BreathFriend
An inbuilt ignition interlock system connected to a breathalyser that does not let the car start if the driver's Blood Alcohol Content is over the permissable limit.
We have conceptualised a system with preventive features against drunk-driving. The system includes, An Inbuilt ignition interlock system connected to a breathalyser that senses the Blood Alcohol Content of the driver, so that the car automatically stops or does not allow the driver to start the car in case it is over the accepted BAC limit- which is 30mg per 100ml in India. Through this we aim to reduce drunk driving cases.
To avoid another person breathing into the breathalyzer on behalf of the driver, we will input a face recognition system within the breathalyzer which only allows the car to move forward once the driver has breathed into the breathalyzer
The issue we are trying to tackle is accidents due to drunk driving. According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways of India, in 2019 there were 12,256 road accidents related to drunk driving. In our city alone 113 people lost their lives to such accidents this year.
Government regulations state that driving by a person with blood alcohol level of over 0.03% or by a person under the influence of drugs is punishable for the first offense with imprisonment for a term of up to six months and/or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees. Even Though the government has these rules in place, our city, Gurgaon, is ridden with underage drivers driving under influence. With a fine as low as Rs.2000, the rules are not taken seriously.
This disregard of rules is a large contributor to the issue.
Impaired driving can cause accidents that lead to paralysis, disfigurement, brain damage, and even death. This results in many innocent people losing their lives due to someone else’s irresponsibility. Drunk drivers often lose their license, and face higher insurance costs.
We live in a country where the fine for not wearing a mask and hitting someone while you are drunk driving is the same. There were about 12000 accidents in 2017 alone which were caused by drunk driving. Our solution serves every individual that steps out of their house. Many families lose their members due to another person’s actions. Our solution effectively keeps drunk drivers off the road, through which we could potentially save lives.
Our population is currently underserved considering the laws of our country are driven by bribery and corruption. And even though similar technology exists in other countries, it doesn’t in India.
We did some research on similar systems developed outside of our country, and living in India we have witnessed a lot of accidents caused by drunk drivers. We have not officially conducted any surveys/interviews but our friends and family all agree that our idea is a necessity in a country like ours.
- Other: Addressing an unmet social, environmental, or economic need not covered in the four dimensions above
- Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea
Since we have only started exploring the idea this month, we have not had enough time to develop/test a prototype. We are still in the process of researching and learning about the technology involved in our system.
- A new use of an existing technology (e.g. application to a new problem or in a new location)
Our device uses an ignition interlock system connected to a facial recognition system.
The device includes a highly sensitive breathalyser (device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample) to measure the driver's BAC. Although such technologies already exist outside of India, they all share a huge design flaw, as drivers often get someone else to breathe into the system for them, that is why our device is connected to a facial recognition system.
If the driver's measured BAC is over the permissable limit, 30mg per 100ml or 0.03 in India, then the system interrupts car ignition from starting.
We initially ideated connecting a thermistor (type of electrical resistor whose resistance is strongly dependent on temperature, the higher temperature the less power flows through and visa versa.) to the car battery to interrupt it's flow. This idea may not be feasible as it is very hard to control the temperature inside the machine.
We need some mentorship to understand what technology could be used to connect our device to the ignition.
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
- Imaging and Sensor Technology
- India
We have not launched as yet, we plan to serve approximately 200-500 in the next year.
Our age might act as a barrier as we currently do not have contacts in the automobile industry, which might make it difficult for us to partner with big car companies.
Another issue we may face will be the technicality of connecting the system to the locking system, we may require advice from an an automobile designer.
Some reasons why companies may reject our idea:
- Aesthetics of the system
- Impact of the system on car sales
As high school students, we have no qualifications related to the car industry, but we are currently learning about the technology and planning to work alongside experts in the field.
We have not officially partnered with any organisations as yet, but we recently spoke to Vikram Garga, the Vice President and Head of Strategy at Mahindra, an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing corporation about the feasibility of our project. He offered to connect us to a member of their design team to further understand the mechanics behind it.
- Yes
We are eligible for this prize as we are both girls aged 16. We plan to use this prize to be able to afford the resources we require to build a prototype and advance our research. The prize will also help us build reliability when we approach the companies.
- No
