Engineering Project
A.L.E.R.T. - Advanced Location Edge Risk Tracker
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Problem:
With the rise of social media and travel blogging, National parks around the world are facing a new problem. Travel bloggers and influencers are going to extreme extents at popular spots to make a good reel or take a good photo. Hundreds of people die every year in National Parks as a result, despite the National Park Service (NPS) posting warnings and notices in prominent locations. The NPS has limited resources and cannot post rangers in every possible location to warn visitors. A system is needed to A.L.E.R.T visitors when they are too close to the edge of a cliff or mountainside.
Name: Omkar Vasisht
School: Deerfield Elementary
Grade: 6th
Teacher: Ms.Rosser
Abstract
The problem was that in National Parks, influencers and tourists alike are taking unnecessary risks to get a good photo or take a good reel. The National Park Service (NPS) is implementing several approaches to prevent accidental falls while taking selfies including publishing safety guides, creating safety pledges, installing signage, educating visitors, promoting the “stay on the beaten path” rule, and creating designated viewpoints and selfie stations. There is a need for small, affordable solutions to warn people to that ignore the above techniques.
First I gathered all my materials and supplies, including an Arduino Uno R3, a HC-SR04 Distance sensor module, an Active Buzzer to produce beeping sound, a breadboard, a 9 Volt battery. Then, I created a diagram of the circuit. Next, I wired my circuit together following the diagram. Next, I connected the whole circuit to a breadboard, a board with pins in it. Then I connected the battery to the whole setup. Finally, I uploaded the code and tested it multiple times to make sure it worked.
In conclusion my solution was able to A.L.E.R.T visitors when they are too close to the edge of a cliff or mountainside. I was able to test my solution in various conditions that mimic real life situations like darkness, rain, fog, and smoke. Since my solution uses an Ultrasonic Distance Sensor, all of the scenarios had positive results.
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Introduction (Background Research)
In National parks around the US, many people have fallen off cliffs and canyon edges due to accidents and carelessness. “ Among those that died while hiking, 73 were the result of a fall, which was the most common cause of death for hikers.” as per NPS.gov. Also, According to KÜHL.com, “...but unfortunately, some of them fail to follow safety measures and warning signs. Grand Canyon has attracted an average of 5 million visitors each year over the past 16 years; however, not all take safety precautions seriously, which led to 1,633 search and rescue missions, and 169 lives lost. Hike smart everyone, and stay away from the cliffs. The selfies aren’t worth it.”
According to Perplexity.ai, the National Park Service (NPS) is implementing several approaches to prevent accidental falls while taking selfies including publishing safety guides, creating safety pledges, installing signage, educating visitors, promoting the “stay on the beaten path” rule, and creating designated viewpoints and selfie stations. There is a need for small, affordable solutions to warn people to that ignore the above techniques.
The Arduino Uno is a small computer that can be programmed to control things in the real world. It has a lot of tiny pins that can be connected to sensors and motors. You can use the Arduino Uno to make robots, lights that turn on and off, and even musical instruments. In my case, I will program the Arduino to produce a beeping sound when someone gets too close to it. The design for this project is inspired by Heonics’ Distance Variable Alarm, and uses the code from Heoncis’ distance Variable Alarm.
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The Engineering Solution, Prototype/Model to be tested.
For my A.L.E.R.T system, I will use an Arduino Uno (a small computer) and a HC-SR04 module (an ultrasonic distance sensor), and an Active Buzzer (a device that produces sound), to create a solution that can produce a beeping sound when someone gets too close to it. This solution unit will be encased in a plastic box so that it can be attached to already existing National Park fence posts or be placed near most ledges. I want to make this attachment as compact and easy to assemble as possible, with the code allowing parameters that can be tweaked to make it easier for the unit to adjust to the parks geographic features.
For testing purposes, I am going to set the distance to twenty centimeters. As I get closer to the setup, the ultrasonic sensor module will send a signal to the Arduino Uno which will then send a signal to the main buzzer which will beep every one second at a set frequency, until the person backs away.
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A.L.E.R.T Unit
Fence
Materials
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Arduino Uno
Ultrasonic distance sensor
Active Buzzer
Circuit Diagram
Procedure
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Results – Data/Observations
My tests with my A.L.E.R.T module were successful. It alerted my test subjects whenever they got too close to it.
A few things I noticed about my prototype were that:
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Discussion
In my research and discussions during with scientists during ASN, Academy 101, and Science Fair Office hours, I realized that my solution needs to work in different weather conditions, be compact, easy to assemble, and easy to maintain. This lead me to selecting components like the Ultrasonic Sensor and an Active Buzzer, and an Arduino for my solution. These components are cheap and easy to procure, making them cost-effective and easy to replace. The Arduino can be connected to other modules and programmed in the future to perform complex tasks like sharing data with rangers, and providing voice alerts.
My discussions with other scientists helped me create tests that mimic real life for my module, including testing it in complete darkness, rain, and in foggy conditions. All of these tests had positive results. Another test that I did was to measure the maximum and minimum distance of the ultrasonic sensor. what I found out was that the maximum was 20 centimeters and the minimum was 2 centimeters.
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Conclusion
National Parks have a unique problem with social influencers and tourists taking unnecessary risks in search of a good selfie or reel. My solution uses simple, yet effective technology to A.L.E.R.T such people and steer them away from harm. My solution works rain or shine (literally!) and can be easily scaled, meaning that it can mass produced in a cost-effective manner and deployed in remote locations.
I was able to test my solution in various conditions that mimic real life situations like darkness, rain, fog, and smoke. Since my solution uses an Ultrasonic Distance Sensor, all of the scenarios had positive results.
I see this solution being adopted by the NPS in addition to their existing approaches to deter people from the edge including posting notices and erecting fences. This unit can be attached to already existing fence posts. This can also be placed prominently on natural features around problematic areas.
Here are some ways to improve my solution in the future:
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Reflection/Application
Things you might want to reflect on:
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References Cited
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