Assistive Pedestrian Crossing

Building a safety traffic light system and application work with virtual assistant and mapping application to help disabled people or the visually impaired cross the road safely without anyone's assistance. 

The number of persons in Malaysia with disabilities has progressively increased in recent years. This is due to increased awareness and diagnosis of different impairments, as well as an aging population, older people are more likely to have a physical handicap. This corresponds to an increase in the number of disabled road users, as well as an increase in the number of disabled pedestrians. The type of infirmities varies widely, but disabled road users frequently require some form of adapted equipment to navigate. As a result, certain disabled pedestrians require special accommodations when utilizing the road.

In Malaysia, the findings show that older pedestrians over the age of 55 are more prone to walk slowly. This helps to explain why elderly or physically disabled people are more likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents. Insufficient time to cross safely may result in a road collision involving an older or disabled pedestrian, and this should be factored into the route design. As the frequency of pedestrian accidents rises, this issue must be addressed immediately. One option for addressing this issue is to incorporate pedestrian crossing speed in traffic design and operation.

For example, visually impaired persons are also more likely involved in pedestrian accidents due to incapable to identify road conditions. For instance, some of the beeping sounds of notify crossing roads are not functioning well or even do not have this feature as well, and they don’t know the exact location of pedestrian crosswalks hence causing pedestrian accident cases among the visually impaired to increase in Malaysia.

Figure: Cumulative Number of Registered Persons with Disabilities (PWD) by Age Group and Category of Disabilities, Malaysia for Visual impaired (DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA, 2022)

Figure: Cumulative Number of Registered Persons With Disabilities (PWD) by Age Group and Category of Disabilities, Malaysia for Physically impaired (DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA, 2022)

Figure: Walking speed for disabled occupants (Long Shi, 2009)

In a nutshell, for people with mobility and visual impairments, a zebra crossing button is placed too high for people in wheelchairs to reach or see the exact position of the zebra crossing button. Because of their size or inability to see clearly, they may have to travel longer and farther to look for a pedestrian crossing. The traditional pedestrian traffic light only has a green light for a short time to let them cross the street. Therefore, they rush to cross the street, which is very dangerous for them. From the driver's point of view, the traffic light change may be ignored due to bad weather or at night, or the traffic lights may not be visible during the day. Some of the drivers' driving styles are compromised in the pedestrian zone, that is when the traffic light turns yellow or red, they drive even faster in order not to wait for the next lap.

The system is mainly proposed to help people with visual and physical disabilities to cross the street safely unaided and reduce road accidents. This project aims to investigate how we can improve the pedestrian crossing system in two-lane, two-way streets. The user must have an internet connection and GPS streaming on their smartphone to get the traffic light location by clicking the button in the Blynk App, or by using voice input as a command via Google Assistant and navigate the user to the nearest pedestrian crossing system via Google Maps. They only need an RFID card attached to their wheelchair or cane, which can only be registered by a person with a disability, to control the pedestrian crossing light within 2 meters of the traffic light. The system can warn drivers to stop early before the traffic light is switched to red by the all-round light. Barricade with servomotors, which forbids the driver to continue driving at red lights. If the driver keeps driving when the traffic light turns red or is too close to the barricade detected by the ultrasonic sensor, the camera will capture the driver and car license plate number and send them to the relevant department to take action against the driver, violating the traffic rules. The system also notifies the pedestrian through a buzzer when the pedestrian light turns green, which is very beneficial for the visually impaired category. The system extends the duration of the crosswalk to ensure the person with disabilities has enough time to cross the street, which can only be triggered by the RFID card to avoid misuse. If the pedestrian is pushed the manual button instead of detecting the RFID card, the system will retain the normal system which does not extend the duration time of the green light.

When it comes to road safety, people with disabilities and the elderly are frequently overlooked since they are not always perceived as road users, but they certainly are. Many people with disabilities are self-sufficient and go about their everyday lives in the same way as anybody else does, including using roads and pavements.

For individuals with mobility impairments, mostly use a wheelchair, crutches, or walking sticks to assist them to get around. They have difficulty going through tiny hallways, turning around, and walking down the steps due to their mobility impairment. Unfortunately, there are many challenges faced by them when crossing a road. For example, there have steep ramps that a wheelchair unable to reach the crosswalk push button. Some crosswalk push button is being installed too high for those who sit in a wheelchair which has a lower level compared to the other pedestrians. Also, many of the traffic light has been installed on the curb, which is the edge where a raised sidewalk or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway where the wheelchair cannot go up there. Hence mobility-impaired people, cannot reach the crosswalk push button without anyone’s assistance. Due to the mobility impaired, they also wish to travel a shorter path as possible. If they don’t know the traffic light of the pedestrian crosswalk, they might need to travel longer and further to look for it which is make them very inconvenient.

Individuals with visual impairments or blind, they mostly use a walking stick to assist them to know the obstacles around them. Although they always get to the places that they are known to, they are always needed to touch the surroundings to identify where and what the things are. They might not be able to know where the crosswalk push button is without anyone’s assistance. It is very dangerous for them to discern the exact location of the crosswalk push button since they have the opportunity to arrive at the road median accidentally. They might also not be able to know when the pedestrian's light turns green to cross the road if the beeping sound of the pedestrian traffic signal light is not functioning well or unable to hear due to environmental noise or even do not have this function. Also, when they want to cross the road, they might not know the traffic light of the pedestrian crosswalk which can endanger them. They will feel insecure because can’t see clearly the environment, especially those who totally blind. All these uncertainties can cause danger for them.

Persons with mobility or visually impaired as well as the elderly always need more time to cross a road due to their slow action. However, the pedestrian traffic signal light has a short period of time green light to let them cross the road. Hence, it makes them to rush for crossing the road which is very dangerous for them.

From the driver’s perspective, some of them are not aware of the condition of the road due to making a phone call or using a handphone. They might not pay attention to the change of traffic lights due to bad weather or at night or the traffic lights are not obvious during the day. Also, they might drive at high speed so they are too late to break. Hence it can endanger the pedestrian when there is a pedestrian crossing the road. In Malaysia, many of the driver’s driving styles are in the endanger pedestrian which is when the traffic light turns yellow or red light they even drive faster to not wait for the next round. Hence, this makes pedestrians need to watch out for whether the vehicles stopped or not when they want to cross the road even though the traffic light is turned red and the pedestrian light is turned green. Some of them even hit and run after an accident to evade legal responsibility, which makes the related government agency (Polis Diraja Malaysia-PDRM) unable to track those irresponsible drivers.

Solutions:

• In Malaysia, the findings show that older pedestrians over the age of 55 are more prone to walk slowly. This helps to explain why elderly or physically disabled people are more likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents.
• This project is based on the crosswalk system in front of the QIU to develop, such as the width of the road, the crosswalk time, the number of vehicles within the crosswalk time in peak and off-peak hours, and the timing to interchange the lights.
• The targeted category of disabled users for this project is mobility and visually impaired persons.
• Disabilities persons who want to use the extension of the crosswalk feature must be registered as OKU to avoid misuse of this feature and an RFID tag may attach on the aid of a walker for convenience to scan by the RFID reader like Touch n Go toll.
• The time of pedestrian crosswalk for a disabled person is set to 40 seconds which is extended up to 15 seconds from the preset time which is 25 seconds based on the length of the crosswalk in front of the QIU campus divided by the slowest walking speed of the disabled person referred to the research paper from the internet.
• The length between vehicles and barricades while pedestrians cross the road should be more than 2 meters based on the line in front of the crosswalk. The vehicles should stop behind the line to consider as not violating the traffic rules.
• The Blynk app and cloud are being selected among IoT platforms due to being easy to configure and user-friendly. It also can work together with Arduino using the least code.
• The time gap for pedestrians to cross the road again after the pedestrian light turned red is 60 seconds to avoid traffic congestion based on the 15 seconds of extension crosswalk time and quantity of vehicles in peak hours, which is also 15 seconds more compared to the conventional traffic light.
• Able to navigate the user to the nearest traffic light of the pedestrian crosswalk through the Blynk app and Google Maps by receiving the location link through email.
• Able to change the pedestrian traffic signal light when the RFID sensor detects the RFID card of disabled persons within 2 meters.
• Able to alert the drivers that there is a pedestrian crossing road before 10 seconds the pedestrian light is turned into yellow through a beacon light.
• Able to avoid drivers continuing driving after the red traffic light is turned on by using the barricades.
• Able to capture the drivers that continue driving and send them to the relevant department via email by using ESP32 Cam when the traffic light is red or who approach less than 2 meters near the barricade after the barricades are lowered down.
• Able to notify the user to cross the road when the pedestrian light is turned green after the barricade is completely lowered down by using the buzzer.
• Able to extend the duration time of pedestrian green light up to 15 seconds extra to crossing road when the system triggered by scanning RFID card. 

Figure: Journey map for the conventional system

Figure: Journey map for the proposed method

Addressing the needs from different aspects:

• To ensure that the elderly, mobility, and visually impaired are able to travel a shorter path as possible to look for the traffic light of the pedestrian crosswalk. The visually impaired can be felt more secure as they can’t see clearly the environment.
• To ensure that they do not need to suffer from obstacles such as being unable to reach the crosswalk push button due to height. The visually impaired persons also have no need to discern the exact location of the crosswalk push button.
• To ensure that the drivers can slow down their speed early as the flashing light is highly visible because they might not look out the traffic light turned red or not pay attention to the road condition or not see clearly at night. The time latency for disabled persons is to ensure they can cross the road in safe conditions.
• Ensure that the drivers will not continue to drive which can endanger the pedestrian when the pedestrian light is turned green. Hence road accidents among disabled persons can be decreased as well.
• To ensure that related government agencies can issue summon to that irresponsible driver.
• Ensuring that they know when the time to cross the road is especially for the visually impaired that can’t clearly see the pedestrian light and road conditions. The visually impaired can be felt more secure.
• To ensure that they have sufficient time to cross the road since the design of the conventional pedestrian light system has not considered the category of disabled persons and the elderly they need more time to cross the road compared to normal persons. 

This project is an individual project, hence the team member is only me. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science at Quest University International in Malaysia.

When solving problems, I use both logic and emotion in equal measure. I'm not scared of failing and tried many times and figured out the solution for different conditions. For example, my supervisor will raise questions about how to tackle the problem that I have found, so I brainstormed and do research to find out a better solution, and evaluate again my solution. In fact, I believe it is an essential component of the experimental process that leads to success. I enjoy learning new things and am always looking for new learning opportunities.

Literature review on Relevant Technologies with Justification, Selected Tools and Platforms with Justification, and Similar Systems with Comparison and Analysis.

I have collected much information from the internet and research paper regarding the system such as the walking speed of a disabled person when crossing the road, the width of the road in Malaysia, the speed limit in the urban area of Malaysia, the walking time require, braking time and distance of vehicle and etc to analyze how to improve the crosswalk system. I also found out what are the reasons for causing road accidents among disabled people when they are crossing the road to know what their needs are. Other than that, I observed the crosswalk system in front of the campus of Quest International University to know how the traffic light and pedestrian light work together, the timing of changing each light, the driving behavior of drivers, and the number of vehicles for each crosswalk session. Since I have a coursemate that is physically disabled, so I asked him about the difficulty when crossing the crosswalk in front of the campus to understand their needs. I also tested the time needed for them to cross the road based on the crossing speed and length of the road to carry out the experiment. Discussion with the supervisor is being carried out via WhatsApp to brainstorm and inspire me the ideas to design a helpful system and to verify whether the proposed ideas are feasible or not.

SiPKA (ROBOCOP, 2020)

The zebra crossing at Jalan Merdeka (between Mahkota Parade and Dataran Pahlawan) has been improved with wireless pedestrian detection technology to allow impaired people to walk securely, according to Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) mayor Datuk Zainal Abu. The 24m x 6m zebra crossing with the automatic pedestrian system (SiPKA) – which uses infrared sensors to communicate with traffic signals – has also been installed in front of Hotel Hatten, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Menara Taming Sari, and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Kubu, according to him. "Pedestrians, especially the disabled, would no longer have to push a button to cross the road with this new crosswalk," he stated during the launch of the MBMB's 'Kibar Jalur Gemilang' campaign by state housing, local government, and environment committee chairman, Datuk Seri Abdul Ghafar Atan.
Comparison:  It does not notify visually impaired persons when they can cross the road. Although it is automatically detected whether there are pedestrians or not, the visually impaired person doesn’t know the current condition of the road and feels insecure due to some cars cannot stop immediately when the traffic light turned into red. Also, if the pedestrian walks out from the zebra zone, the sensors will not detect there is a pedestrian crossing.

Green Man Plus (AP Archieve, 2019)

According to Dr. Marissa Lee Medjeral-Mills, Executive Director of the Disabled People's Association (DPA), Singapore has at least 3% of the population with impairments, however, she feels the true number is higher. 
Road safety and the ability to cross traffic lights in the allotted time are two dangers that these groups face. As a result, Singapore's Land Transport Authority, which is part of the Ministry of Transport, has designed a plan to provide pedestrian crossings extra time.
"It's great for people who have mobility impairments and vision impairments because of our aging population," says Medjeral-Mills, "but as our population ages, those people with disabilities will become older persons as well and face additional challenges getting around, so it's really important that we allow for additional safety measures at pedestrian crossings." 
The Green Man + program, which began in October 2009, currently has 1,000 pedestrian crossings, according to Cheong Mun Onn, Manager of the Land Transport Authority's Intelligent Transport Systems Development.
By 2026, there are plans to install roughly 1,500 more pedestrian crossings in housing complexes where the elderly live. "Our older community and pedestrians with walking difficulties who take more time and need assistance crossing the roadways safely on their own will benefit from this," adds Onn.
"When crossing the crossroads equipped with Green Man Plus, they can expect up to 13 seconds additional green man timings." 
Halipa Binte Ahmad, a Singapore citizen, is pleased with the scheme's implementation and finds it useful when navigating the city: "Before the Green Man +, there isn't enough time. It's a pain for me to go from curb to curb... And now things are looking up. I can do it; I don't have to sprint to the next curb "she explains. Eugene Jayme Escanan needs assistance to walk. He claims that he now feels safer and more at ease crossing the street. 
The Green Man Plus initiative can grant a maximum of 13 seconds of additional time, but the actual duration will be determined by the traffic signal and the size of the junction.
According to Onn, a study has been conducted to guarantee that the new method would not disrupt traffic flow. "We did pre- and post-traffic simulations, and the Green Man + is an activation-based scheme, so all of this has been tested to reduce traffic congestion to a minimal." According to Dr. Medjeral-Mills, community opinion has been good, and the project is unquestionably a step toward inclusion for elderly residents and those with impairments. 
Comparison:  It is not a good enough system compared with the proposed system because wheelchair persons may not reach the scanning card area to initiate the system, but the proposed system can control the system within 2 meters of the traffic light system by using an RFID reader without passive input due to the RFID card is attached on their walking stick or wheelchair. 

Smart Device (Today Online, 2018)

Elderly pedestrians and people with impairments may now obtain a few more seconds to cross Hong Kong's crowded roadways with a simple tap of a card. Near a trial project, the Transport Department installed a new smart gadget at a pedestrian crossing in North Point on Hong Kong Island on Thursday (Jan 25, 2018). The device is attached to a traffic pole. The flashing green light will flash for 16 seconds instead of the customary 12 at the North Point site when someone touches it with an Octopus card for the elderly or a customized Octopus card registered with the "Persons with Disabilities Status." The blinking green light has been extended to provide an old person — who walks at an average speed of 0.9 meters per second — adequate time to cross one vehicle lane.
Comparison:  It is an inconvenience for them to rummage through her bag for her Octopus card. Also, those who have a stroke with another hand holding a walking cane cannot get the card. For my proposed system, the RFID card that attaches to their aid of walking is being used to scan the RFID reader within 2 meters without taking out the card.

SMART pedestrian crossings (SMART pedestrian crossing, n.d.)

SMART pedestrian crossings in Spain are intended to minimize the number of traffic accidents that occur in many congested regions, hence improving pedestrian safety. This technological approach works with a system of sensors that detect movement whenever someone crosses or is about to cross. The light panels on the floor that are connected to these sensors illuminate instantly, allowing vehicles to detect pedestrians crossing more easily and quickly. Two vertical panels, one on each side of the road, light up in addition to the panels on the floor. When natural light is not sufficient to provide excellent visibility, this system is activated automatically at the same time as all streetlights. This project tries to alleviate the lack of visibility at pedestrian crossings in congested areas of a city. As a result of the improvements, pedestrian safety has improved, and the number of urban accidents has decreased. Sensors are used to monitor movement near pedestrian crossings in this method. When movement is detected, an automated signal is transmitted to a light panel on the floor adjacent to the pedestrian crossing lines, as well as two vertical light panels on either side of the road. Alternatives to this option might include the deployment of a red signal, similar to traffic lights, to make it even more evident to cars that they must stop because someone is crossing the street. 
Comparison:  It is not good enough compared with the proposed system although it can alert drivers that there is a pedestrian crossing the road because the drivers may be too late to brake. In Malaysia, drivers with non-ethical driving styles are continuing to drive even traffic light is turned yellow. Hence, the proposed system has barricades to prohibit the drivers continue to drive and also a camera to capture that illegal driver.

Smart Pedestrian Crosswalk (TECHNOLOGIES, 2019)

There are no visual or auditory warnings if the pedestrian does not intend to cross the road and continues on the trajectory that will not, unsurprisingly, encounter the road. The pedestrian may, presumably, cross the road in an area that is not allocated for that purpose. In this situation, the trajectory will be tracked and an acceptable range of predictions will be made. Drivers will be notified by flashing LEDs on the pole and on the smart traffic sign if the gadget detects the pedestrian’s intention to cross the road (along the sides of the traffic sign sheet). A DSRC (or 5G) communication regarding the road-crossing pedestrian is also sent to the car if the functionality is enabled. 
If the gadget identifies a potentially dangerous circumstance that might result in a person being run over by a vehicle, it will alert road users and elicit their responses through auditory and visual warnings. The pedestrian and the car driver will instantly see red LEDs flashing on the pole and on the smart traffic sign, indicating that something is wrong. The gadget emits an audible signal to alert pedestrians, in particular, of an impending perilous scenario. A notification concerning a pedestrian in danger can be sent to the car, which may react faster than the driver. Optional functions include automatically recording and transferring data from the dangerous scenario to the appropriate parties. 
Comparison:  The system mentioned is good but the drivers in Malaysia, of them, do not follow traffic rules. Also, if some of the children play with the system by going around the gadget, it may shock the drivers to make an emergency brake which may cause road accidents among vehicles. Our proposed system will lower the barricade with time latency to avoid this situation happening after the system is triggered.

Smart Crossing (McPartland, 2017)

A responsive road surface of 22 meters makes up the Smart Crossing. The top layer is made up of standard, ultra-bright LEDs that are protected by high-impact polycarbonate from vehicle impact and water damage. Underneath the panels and cabling is a bolted steel underpinning to keep them from falling apart. The prototype's detecting system comprises of two cameras on opposite sides of the roadway scanning the street. The arduous job of 'classifying' items in each scene, tracking movement, and assuming trajectory is done by a computer. The computer then sends commands to the proper LEDs to create the desired patterns on the road. The crossing space seems to be a digitized version of a standard zebra crossing by default, but it is activated by a pedestrian sign (which appears red, then green) on the road's border. When a pedestrian is identified, the crossing appears on the road as usual, with the marker fading away when it is no longer needed. The crossing marks will broaden if a large number of individuals attempt to cross at the same time. When the crossing becomes visible, the stop line and cycling area are relocated to maintain a safe distance between cars and pedestrians.
Comparison:  It can alert the driver that someone is crossing the road or alert the pedestrian not to cross the road when there are vehicles coming. It is quite interesting but how if the visually impaired person cannot see the situation clearly and also the unresponsible drivers do not stop to let the pedestrian go around first?

My solution has provided the feature of navigation to the nearest traffic light system, which is considered the needs of physically disabled people or visually impaired people that they unable to locate the pedestrian crosswalk. This needs the user to have a mapping application and virtual assistant with mobile data and enable the GPS location service on their smartphone or any handheld device. They can choose whether want to use the navigation to the nearest traffic light of the pedestrian crosswalk through Google Maps by using voice input as a command via Google Assistant or clicking the button in the Blynk App by using their smartphone. The Google Assistant will then connect to the Blynk app via IFTTT to perform the action which is to navigate the user to the nearest traffic light of the pedestrian crosswalk based on the command such as “Hey Google, navigate to crosswalk” with the use of Google Maps. 

This one should be developed for the community, especially for visually impaired persons as it provides guidance to them to avoid accidentally stepping out of the road, it is also easy for them able to travel a shorter path as possible to look for the traffic light to waiting for the pedestrian crossing. The government or related departments should train and teach the community how to use it.

Goals:

• To reduce road accidents among disabled persons. 
• To apply the convenience, safety road crossing and crossing decisions for pedestrians, especially for mobility and visually impaired persons.
• To influence the driving behaviors and decisions of vehicle drivers.

Plan to achieve:

• Having a discussion with the university campus to use my solution on the crosswalk in front of the campus to test if this is feasible in real life or not.
• If yes, get permission from the government for implementation in front of the campus.
• If it is feasible, I would pursue the government to use this solution with reasons and benefits by providing a financial plan.

Technology being used in this solution:

Artificial Intelligent (AI)

Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science in which a computer is trained to demonstrate traits that are similar to those of human intellect. These talents include the ability to study, comprehend language, reason, solve problems, make expert diagnoses, and do other mental tasks. Artificial intelligence advances are projected to enable robots and other "intelligent" devices to communicate with people and take extremely high-level commands rather to the precise step-by-step programming statements that today's programmable machines require. A future robot with artificial intelligence, for example, could be able to take and execute the instruction "build the product." A thorough set of instructions detailing the positions of the product's components must be delivered to today's industrial robots.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXAMPLES:
• Siri, Alexa, and other virtual assistants are examples of smart assistants.
• Automobiles that drive themselves
• Conversational bots
• Netflix recommendations
• Robo-advisors
• Spam filters for email
Artificial intelligence may be divided into two categories:
Narrow AI, often known as "Weak AI," is a type of artificial intelligence that functions in a constrained setting and simulates human intellect. While narrow AI is frequently focused on executing a specific job very well, these machines operate under many more constraints and limits than even the most basic human intelligence.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): AGI, often known as "Strong AI," is the type of artificial intelligence that we see in movies like Westworld's machines or Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data. AGI is a machine that has general intelligence and can use that intelligence to solve any issue, much like a person can.
Narrow AI is all around us, and it is by far the most effective implementation of AI to far. According to "Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence," a 2016 study issued by the Obama Administration, Narrow AI has had major advancements in the recent decade that have had "substantial societal advantages and have contributed to the economic viability of the nation."
Here are a few instances of Narrow AI:
• Image recognition software 
• Searching on Google
• Personal assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and others
• Automobiles that drive themselves
• Watson is an IBM product
• Navigation
Machine learning and deep learning advancements are at the heart of Narrow AI. It might be difficult to identify the difference between artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a collection of algorithms and intelligence that attempts to emulate human intellect. One of them is machine learning, and deep learning is one of the techniques used in machine learning.
Simply defined, machine learning feeds data to a computer and employs statistical techniques to help it "learn" how to grow better at a task without being particularly programmed for it, reducing the need for millions of lines of written code. Unsupervised learning (using labeled data sets) and supervised learning (using unlabeled data sets) are both types of machine learning (using unlabeled data sets).
Deep learning is a sort of machine learning that processes data using a neural network design inspired by biology. The data is processed via a number of hidden layers in the neural networks, which allows the machine to go "deep" in its learning, creating connections and weighing input for the best outcomes.

Assistive Technology (AT) (Wikipedia, 2022)

Assistive technology (AT) refers to assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative equipment that is designed for persons with impairments or the elderly. People with disabilities frequently struggle to do activities of daily living (ADLs) on their own or even with support. Toileting, movement (ambulation), eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, and personal device maintenance are all examples of ADLs. Disabilities that impede one's capacity to execute ADLs can be mitigated by assistive technology. Assistive technology fosters more independence by enabling individuals to complete tasks they were previously unable to complete, or had considerable difficulty completing, by improving or modifying how people engage with the equipment required to complete those tasks.
Individuals with disabilities utilize assistive technology to execute tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for them to complete. Mobility equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software, and peripherals, are examples of assistive technology. People with limited hand function, for example, can operate a computer with a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse; people who are blind can use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice; people with low vision can use software that enlarges screen content; and people who are deaf can use a TTY (text telephone). Alternatively, those with speech problems can utilize a gadget that speaks out loud while they type.
Wheelchairs, for example, allow individuals who are unable to walk to move around independently, while assistive eating gadgets allow those who are unable to feed themselves to do so. People with disabilities can live a more pleasant and easy-going lifestyle thanks to assistive technology, which increases "social involvement," "security and control," and the potential to "lower institutional expenditures without considerably raising domestic spending."
Assist with navigation: Since 2000, the IEEE Xplore database has exploded with articles on assistive technology for navigation, with over 7,500 engineering articles written on assistive technologies and visual impairment in the last 25 years, and over 1,300 articles on solving the problem of navigation for blind or visually impaired people. Since 2000, the engineering literature has published about 600 studies on augmented reality and visual impairment. The majority of these publications were published during the last five years, and the number of articles in this field continues to rise year after year. GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and cameras can detect the user's actual location and offer information on what's around, as well as directions to a destination.

Automation Technology (Automation, 2021)

Automation is the development and deployment of technologies that allow products and services to be produced and delivered with little or no human interaction. Many jobs that were previously handled by people are now more efficient, reliable, and/or fast because of the use of automation technologies, techniques, and procedures. Manufacturing, transportation, utilities, defense, facilities, operations, and, more recently, information technology are all using automation. 
A software script can evaluate a software product and provide a report in the information technology area. In addition, there are a number of software solutions on the market that can produce code for an application. The tool must only be configured, and the procedure must be defined by the users. Another emerging type of high-quality automation is advanced business intelligence in apps. Automation has substantially boosted productivity in various industries in recent decades, saving time and money. Automation may take various shapes in our daily lives, ranging from the simplest to the most complicated. Household thermostats that manage boilers, the first automatic telephone switchboards, electronic navigation systems, and the most complex algorithms underpinning self-driving automobiles are all instances of advanced algorithms.
• House automation is a term that refers to the use of a mix of hardware and software technologies to control and manage appliances and gadgets in a home.
• The process of automating the configuration, management, and operations of a computer network is known as network automation.
• Most everyday operations and procedures in a typical workplace are digitized, stored, processed, and communicated using computers and software.
• Automated website testing - simplifies and standardizes website testing settings in response to configuration changes made during the development process.
• Data center automation allows software programs to handle the majority of data center activities. Lights-out activities, often known as automated system operations, are included.
• Test automation entails using scripts and other automation tools to run software code through quality assurance (QA) testing.
The collection of tasks that the system will perform automatically is determined by the programmed instructions. The program outlines what the automated system should perform and how its many components must work together to achieve the intended outcome. The program's content changes greatly from one system to the next. In very basic systems, the program consists of a small set of well-defined activities that are repeated in the same order from one cycle to the next. The number of commands in increasingly complicated systems may be fairly vast, and the amount of information in each command could be substantially higher. The program in more advanced systems allows the sequence of processes to be changed in response to changes in raw materials or other operational conditions.
The program creates the sequence of values for the inputs (set points) of the many feedback control loops that make up the automated system, which is connected to feedback control in an automated system. A programming command can indicate the set point for the feedback loop, which regulates the system's activity. In fact, the feedback loop's goal is to ensure that the programmed step has been completed.
In most cases, automated systems must interact with people in some way. Customers must give instructions to an automatic bank teller machine, for example, and the machine must follow them. In certain automated systems, a range of distinct human instructions is feasible, and the system's decision-making capabilities must be fairly complex to deal with the variety of options.

Global Positioning System (GPS) (Garmin Ltd., 2022)

The GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite-based navigation system with at least 24 satellites. With no membership fees or setup expenses, GPS works in every weather condition, anywhere in the globe, 24 hours a day. The satellites were launched into orbit by the US Department of Defense (USDOD) for military purposes, but they were later made accessible for civilian usage in the 1980s. In a precise orbit, GPS satellites circle the Earth twice a day. Each satellite broadcasts a unique signal and orbital characteristics, which GPS systems can decode and calculate the satellite's precise location. This information, together with trilateration, is used by GPS receivers to compute a user's actual position. The GPS receiver calculates the distance between each satellite by the time it takes to receive a broadcast signal. The receiver can calculate a user's position and show it electronically using distance measurements from a couple of additional satellites, allowing you to measure your running route, map a golf course, find your way home, or embark on an adventure anyplace. A GPS receiver must be latched onto the signal of at least three satellites to determine your 2-D location (latitude and longitude) and track movement. The receiver can calculate your 3-D position if there are four or more satellites in view (latitude, longitude, and altitude). A GPS receiver will often track eight or more satellites, depending on the time of day and where you are on the planet. Some gadgets can perform all of this from the palm of your hand.
After determining your location, the GPS unit may calculate additional data, such as:
• Bearing.
• The distance between you and your destination.
• Speed of movement.
• Time of sunrise and sunset.
• Track.
• Distance traveled.
• And etc.
Because of its parallel multi-channel construction, today's GPS receivers are exceptionally precise. When our receivers are initially turned on, they quickly latch onto satellites. In deep forest cover or metropolitan areas with towering structures, they retain a tracking lock. The accuracy of GPS receivers can be influenced by atmospheric variables and other causes of inaccuracy.

Global System for Mobile Communication/General Packet Radio Service (GSM/GPRS) 

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) created the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) standard. It was established to specify the protocols for mobile phones' second-generation (2G) digital cellular networks, and it is currently the worldwide standard for mobile communications, with over 90% market share and operations in 219 countries and territories. 
GPRS, or General Packet Radio Service, is a GSM network expansion. GPRS is a built-in feature of the GSM network that allows data to be sent quickly while using the same resources as the GSM network. The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) first standardized GPRS in response to the previous CDPD and i-mode packet-switched cellular technologies. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project is currently in charge of maintaining it (3GPP). The access time with GPRS is quite short, and the key benefit is that it allows data to be sent in bursts. Furthermore, data prices are based on consumption rather than connection time.
We may do the following operations with the aid of this GSM/GPRS Module.
• Calls can be made, received, or rejected.
• With the SIM Card, you may send, receive and delete SMS messages.
• Contacts on the SIM Card may be added, read, and searched.
• GPRS allows you to send and receive data to and from the GSM/GPRS network.
AT Commands can be used to complete all of the operations listed above. AT Commands is a subset of the Hayes Command Set, which was designed with a modem in mind. GSM Network provides AT-like instructions for its GSM Modules as well. The AT Commands are sent to the GSM/GPRS Module by the processor or controller to which the module is attached. The GSM Module responds by carrying out command-specific operations such as answering a phone call, sending an SMS message, and so on. A GSM/GPRS Module is an IC or chip that uses a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) and Radio Waves to connect to the GSM Network. 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 1900MHz are the most popular radio frequencies used by GSM Modules.

Ultrasonic Technology (VARICLEAN, n.d.)

Ultrasound is a type of high-pitched sound wave having frequencies greater than the human hearing limit.
Human ears can detect sound waves that vibrate at speeds ranging from 20 to 20,000 times per second (a deep rumbling noise) (a high-pitched whistling). Ultrasound, on the other hand, has a frequency of above 20,000 Hz, making it inaudible to humans.
Ultrasonics is the study of sound waves that are louder beyond human hearing. The tone or pitch of a sound wave is determined by its frequency. Bass tones are produced by low frequencies. High or treble tones are produced by high frequencies. Ultrasound is a sound with a pitch that is too high for the human ear to hear. Ultrasonic frequencies are those that exceed 18 kilobits per second.
Ultrasonic cleaning frequencies range from 20,000 cycles per second, or kilohertz (kHz), to over 100,000 kHz. Frequencies between 20 kHz and 50 kHz are the most typically utilized for industrial cleaning. High-precision cleaning, the removal of microscopic particles, and fragile components are more typically done at frequencies exceeding 50kHz.
Individual molecules of a sound-transmitting medium are represented by the coils of a spring in the diagram above. In the same way that the coils of a spring influence one another, the molecules in the medium are impacted by surrounding molecules.
In the model, the sound source is on the left. As each neighboring coil of the spring pushes against its neighbor, the compression caused by the sound source propagates along the length of the spring. It's worth noting that, as the sound wave travels from one end of the spring to the other, the individual coils remain in the same relative locations, shifting one way and then the other as the wave passes. As a consequence, as one coil is pushed toward the next, it first undergoes compression and then undergoes rarefaction as it recedes from the neighboring coil.
In a similar manner, each point in a sound-transmitting material is compressed and then rarefied alternatively. The pressure in the medium is positive at a location in the compression region. The pressure in the medium is negative at a location in the region of a rarefaction.
As a sound wave travels through an elastic medium like air and most solids, it undergoes a continuous transformation. There is continuous transition in non-elastic mediums like water and most liquids as long as the amplitude or "loudness" of the sound is relatively low.
However, when amplitude increases, the magnitude of the negative pressure in the zones of rarefaction is large enough to cause the liquid to fracture due to the negative pressure, resulting in cavitation. Cavitation "bubbles" form as the liquid fractures or rips at rarefaction locations due to the negative pressure of the sound wave in the liquid.
The cavitation "bubbles" fluctuate under the influence of positive pressure as the wave fronts pass, ultimately increasing to an unstable size. Finally, implosions arise from the abrupt collapse of the cavitation "bubbles," which cause shock waves to be radiated from the collapse locations. The phenomenon generally associated with ultrasonics is caused by the collapse and implosion of many cavitation "bubbles" within an ultrasonically triggered liquid.

RFID

A transponder/tag affixed to an item to be recognized and a transceiver, also known as an interrogator/reader, are the two essential components of an RFID or Radio Frequency Identification system.
A reader is made up of a Radio Frequency module and an antenna that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field. The tag, on the other hand, is generally a passive device, which means it doesn't have a battery. Instead, it has a microprocessor that stores and processes data, as well as an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals.
A tag must be put close to the Reader in order for the information encoded on it to be read (does not need to be within direct line-of-sight of the reader). A reader creates an electromagnetic field that causes electrons to flow via the tag's antenna, powering the chip.
The powered chip within the tag then replies by sending another radio signal to the reader with the information it has saved. Backscatter is the term for this phenomenon. The reader detects and interprets the backscatter, or change in the electromagnetic/RF wave, and then delivers the data to a computer or microcontroller.

The prototype is being built by using the hardware and software below:

Android and iOS devices 

The requirements for the user with an Android device that support Google Assistant and Google Maps are Android 5.0+ with at least 1.0GB of available memory or Android 6.0+ with at least 1.5GB of available memory, Google Play services, Google app 6.13 or higher and 720p or higher screen resolution. If the user needs to use Google Assistant on the Android lock screen, it only works on devices running Android 8.0 and up. The requirements for the user with an iOS device that support Google Assistant and Google Maps such as iPhone or iPad are iOS 11 or higher.

2 Digit 7-Segment display LED

To display decimal numbers, seven segment screens were built. The display can show numerals from 0 to 9 thanks to its 7 parts. They can also show the upper-case letters A, C, E, and F, as well as the lower-case letters b and d. It is being used to display the countdown of the crosswalk time.

SG90 Servo Motor

A servo motor is a miniature motor with an output shaft. By delivering a coded signal to the servo, this shaft may be moved to particular angular locations. The servo will retain the shaft's angular position as long as the coded signal is present on the input line. It is being used to position the barricade.

HC-SR04 Ultrasonic sensor

A sensor that can measure distance is an ultrasonic sensor. It releases a 40 000 Hz (40kHz) ultrasonic that travels through the air and bounces back to the module if it comes into contact with an item or impediment. It is being used to detect the distance between the vehicle and the barricade.

RC522 RFID Reader

RFID tagging is a type of identifying and tracking technology that uses tiny radio frequency identification chips. The tag, a read/write device, and a host system application for data collection, processing, and transmission make up an RFID tagging system. An RFID system, for example, can be used to open a door. It is being used to trigger the system when the RFID card is within 2 meters of the RFID reader.

PCF8575 IO Expander Module

This 16-bit I/O expander for the two-line bidirectional bus (I2C) is designed to operate between 2.5 and 5.5 V VCC. The PCF8575 device uses the I2C interface to enable general-purpose remote I/O extension for most microcontroller families [serial clock (SCL), serial data (SDA)].

LED

When current runs through a light-emitting diode, it produces light. Electrons recombine with electron holes in the semiconductor, producing energy in the form of photons. LEDs are compact, bright lights that may be utilized for a variety of purposes. To begin, we'll practice flashing an LED, which is the microcontroller equivalent of saying "Hello World." It's as simple as turning on and off a light switch. It is being used to simulate the traffic light, pedestrian light, and beacon light.

Breadboard

A breadboard, often known as a protoboard, is a building platform for electronics experimentation. Originally, the term referred to a polished piece of wood that was used for slicing bread. A breadboard is a solderless building platform for prototyping electrical circuits and wiring for projects involving microcontroller boards such as Arduino. The breadboard is made out of metal strips that run below it and connect the holes on the top. The holes in the top and bottom rows are connected horizontally, while the holes in the middle and bottom rows are connected vertically.

Jumper cables

Jumper wires are used to connect things on your breadboard to the header pins on your Arduino. Make use of them to connect all of your circuits. There are three types of wire which are male to male, female to female, and female to male.

Buzzer

A buzzer or beeper is a mechanical, electromechanical, or piezoelectric audio signaling device. Alarm clocks, timers, and confirmation of human input such as a mouse click, or keyboard are all common uses for buzzers and beepers. It's just a little speaker that can be directly connected to an Arduino. You may program it to emit a tone at a specific frequency. The buzzer makes a sound by using the piezoelectric effect in reverse. It is being used to notify the pedestrian to cross the road.

Push Button

A push button switch is a compact, sealed device that, when pressed, completes an electric circuit. A little metal spring within connects two wires when it is turned on, enabling electricity to flow.

GY-NEO6MV2 GPS module

The NEO-6M GPS module is a high-performance full GPS receiver with a built-in 25 x 25 x 4mm ceramic antenna for reliable satellite search. The power and signal indicators allow you to keep track of the module's status. It is being used to locate the location of the traffic light to the user.

SIM800L GPRS GSM Module

Using the GSM library, the Arduino GSM shield allows an Arduino board to connect to the internet, send and receive SMS, and make phone calls. It is being used to send the location link of the traffic light to the user who requested it.

Arduino Uno

The Arduino Uno is an open-source microcontroller board designed by Arduino.cc and based on the Microchip ATmega328P microprocessor. The board has a number of digital and analog input/output pins that may be used to connect to expansion boards and other devices. It is being used to execute Arduino code created in the Arduino IDE.

ESP-32 Camera Module

The ESP32-CAM is a tiny camera module that runs on the ESP32-S microcontroller and costs around $10. Aside from the OV2640 camera and various GPIOs for connecting peripherals, it also has a microSD card slot for storing photos captured by the camera or data to offer to clients. Either using ESP-32 or OV7670 camera module to capture the driver and vehicle who violate the traffic rules and being used to send the captured picture to the PDRM.

Draw.io

diagrams.net (previously draw.io) is a free online diagramming application. It may be used as a flowchart creator, network diagram software, UML online creator, ER diagram tool, database schema designer, BPMN online builder, circuit diagram maker, and more. It is being used to design all the diagrams needed.

Blynk

Blynk is a platform that lets you easily create interfaces to manage and monitor your hardware projects from your iOS or Android mobile. You may construct a project dashboard after downloading the Blynk software and arranging buttons, sliders, graphs, and other widgets on the screen. It is being used to request the nearest location of a traffic light and receive the location link as an email. 

Arduino IDE

The Arduino Software (IDE) includes a text editor for writing code, a message area, a text terminal, a toolbar with buttons for basic operations, and a series of menus. It connects to the Arduino hardware, allowing it to upload and interact with programs. It is being used to write the code of the system.

Email

E-mail, often known as email, is information stored on a computer that is sent between two users via telecommunications. E-mail, to put it another way, is a communication that can contain text, files, photos, or other attachments and is delivered across a network to a specific person or group of people. It is being used to send the captured picture of drivers that violates the traffic rules to the email of PDRM.

IFTTT

IFTTT is a web-based automation platform that allows you to simply script actions that connect a range of devices and services. IFTTT stands for "If This Then That," a programming standard that explains how the service works in a nutshell. The "if this" component is referred to as the trigger, and the "then that" part is referred to as the action. It is being used to connect the Google Assistant and Blynk app to perform voice input, especially for the visually impaired person.

Google Maps

Google Maps is a desktop and mobile mapping and navigation application. Maps offer turn-by-turn directions to a location, as well as 2D and 3D satellite images and public transportation information. "Street Views," which are photographs of actual streets and environs, are also available on Maps. Maps will provide you with instructions and utilize real-time traffic data to identify the most efficient route to your location. You'll hear traffic alerts, where to turn, which lane to use, and whether there's a better route using voice guidance. It is being used to navigate the user to the nearest location of the traffic light, especially for the visually impaired person. 

Google Assistant

After saying the "OK Google" or "Hey Google" wake words, Google Assistant provides voice commands, speech searches, and voice-activated device control, allowing you to execute a variety of activities. It's made to allow you to have conversations to control other devices. It is being used to perform voice input with the Blynk app. 

According to Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (Department of Social Welfare, JKM) which manages the Persons with Disabilities (OKU) registry (updated as of 31 May 2021), there are a total of 579150 persons with disabilities, which is about 1.8% of the Malaysian population.

The current number of people you’re serving: 0

The number you’ll be serving in one year: approximately 200000 for physical disability and 47000 for visually disabled people.

According to the previous history of the Number Of Disabled Persons Registered in Malaysia, physically and visually disabled people increase by approximately 10000 and 4000 people every year respectively, hence

The number you expect to serve in the next year: approximately 210000 for physical disability and 51000 for visually disabled people.

Financial - The government or community may not able to provide financial support during the economic downturn due to the pandemic and high inflation over the world.

Technical -  In rural places, the navigation maybe not work or be inaccurate due to the GPS signal being highly dependent on the geographical area.

Legal - It is needed to deal with the existing traffic laws of Malaysia and may contradict with it or be unchangeable such as the time interval of the last time the pedestrian light turned red or the latency of waiting time.

Cultural - Only a minority of disabled and elderly people have smartphones and very less of them know how to use the mapping application and virtual assistants.

Market barriers - Since the targeted users of this solution are disabled and elderly people, hence the market is small compared to the population of Malaysia, so the government may not put priority on this project. 

Pursuing Bachelor Degree in Computer Science at Quest International University.

The solution provides disabled people with a more safe environment when crossing the road and also for the country in reducing cases of road accidents among disabled people, but also benefit all pedestrians.

Service contracts to governments - as this solution needs the permission of the government to integrate the new system into the existing traffic light system, hence it is feasible for financial sustainability.

Raising investment capital - raising requests from local or international organizations that are willing to support the solution on defending the Rights and Interests of People with Disabilities.

Sustained donations and grants - raising requests from the community or charity organization that is willing to provide sustained donations to help disabled people.