A- Level Project Work Insights & Reflections

Project Work (8809)/2011

Insights and Reflections (I & R) Project Task: Risk

Title of Group Project: Road Guardian Group Index No: IJ115 Name of Candidate: Xavier Quek Jia Jing CG: 1151A Date submitted: 8 November 2011 Name of Supervising Tutor: Mr. Ong Seck Chye

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Name of Supervising Tutor: _____________________________ Date: ________ Signature of ST: _______________ Signature of Candidate: ________________

Insights & Reflections

Xavier 1151A IJ115

A: Insights

Risk Y: Danger of being harmed by vehicles when crossing in the road junction. Area in project: Pedestrian detection in current project makes use of thermographic camera which is susceptible to weather conditions. Ambiguous results of pedestrian detection would occur under such circumstances because of fluctuations in temperature on road surface, confusing it together with pedestrian surface temperature.

Alternative approach: Install pressure pads on designated areas to detect pedestrians through their mass measurement. Pressure pads’ have mass ranges from 10 – 200 kilograms per square metre. Pressure pads may be costly to install, however, they are not susceptible to weather conditions as they detect via touch sensors, not visual identification. It does not matter if not all pedestrians are detected. It just needs one pedestrian to be detected in order to activate the speed limiter in vehicles.

Challenge 1: If maintenance is required for pressure pad, part of the pedestrian staging area will have to be covered up to facilitate maintenance, causing inconvenience to pedestrians.

Challenge 2: Cyclists might not be detected by the pressure pad as they have a different pressure exerted on the pad, resulting in them being mistaken as raindrops, leading to an increased risk if they are crossing alone at the road junction. However, it is encouraged by Traffic Police for cyclists to dismount and push their bicycles across the road.

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B: Reflections Idea suggested by group: Use of speed limiters to slow vehicles down

STRENGTH: Sure fire plan to slow vehicles down, it is also in sync with the entire system’s aim – to protect pedestrians. By slowing vehicles down, drivers don’t have the incentive to beat the traffic light, allowing them to brake, stop to give way to pedestrians, minimizing their chances of hitting pedestrians.

WEAKNESS: Drivers might not be used to this system and might run into accidents even there is a warning system to inform drivers of the activated speed limiter, because they are not in control of the vehicle’s speed and this affects their driving skills as they are used to control vehicles in all aspects (speed, direction and line of sight).

Reflections Google Sketchup allowed limitless potential to illustrate project ideas, giving me a new experience in 3D drawing. For example, I have done a stepwise process of the activation of the speed limiter and how the vehicles are slowed down. I learnt doing this through the coaching by IT personnel in school and tutorials online. Using Sketchup can be useful for future projects in university and the workplace as it is an effective form of presentation.

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