Final Project Outline
The Idea
For my final project, I wanted to create something that helps people living with Tourette Syndrome (a condition I have). It's a neurodevelopmental disorder included in the ADA that's characterized by making involuntary movements and vocalizations, called tics, and there's not cure. Tourette's affects 1-in-50 people. It ranges from very mild to very severe. For more information, see the Tourette Association of America's website.
My Tourette's are mild, but one problem for people living with more severe tics is interactions with law enforcement, so I wanted to create a device that helps stop a traffic stop escalate when an officer is interaction with someone who has Tourette's.
My first step was to talk to my local Chapter Leader of the Tourette Association of America, Heather Ramsey. She works with law enforcement to spread awareness and education about Tourette's and her insights were extremely valuable. She explained that the current solution used by the Tourette Association of America are information cards that people with Tourette can hand to a law enforcement officer, yet there are several problems with this card:
- Scrambling for the card making the officer nervous
- Escalation before the officer asks for documents
- Communication about reaching for the card if the driver has vocal tics
Next, I set up a time to meet with Major Dale Greene, the Director of Security at Charlotte Latin School and Curtis Bowers a Security Officer at Charlotte Latin School who retired from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department after 30 years of service. They provided great insights from the law enforcement perspective about what's going through an officer's mind at a traffic stop and how they are trained to handle situations with different special populations. The biggest takeaway was that an officer starts at the highest level of alert and caution possible - suspecting the worst leaves them the most prepared, but being too relaxed then encountering a dangerous scenario puts the officer's life at risk. Therefore, it is important to communicate to the officer that the driver has Tourette's as early as possible in the encounter.
Our conclusion from the discussion was that the best solution would be some device on the outside mirror of the car that informs the officer that the driver has Tourette's and they are not being aggressive or intoxicated, etc. This way the driver is not fiddling around with a device and the officer will notice the device as they're walking up to the car, diffusing the situation as early as possible. Communicating in a precise and concise manner is especially important when dealing with officers who've recieved less training with special populations.
They also recommended that I meet with a police officer from a smaller police department who has less training surrounding pedestrians with Tourette's to help guide my design towards a device that prevents escalation with an officer with any level of training.
Weekly Plan
| Week | Contribution To Final Project |
|---|---|
| Computer Aided Design | Attachment mechanism to mirror, cup holder mechanism, screen case, (screen weatherproofing?) |
| Computer Controlled Cutting | Cup holder mechanism |
| Electronics Production | Microcontrollers for screen and trigger button |
| 3D Scanning and Printing | Screen case |
| Electronics Design | Microcontrollers for screen and trigger button |
| Computer Controlled Machining | TBD |
| Embedded Programming | Programming for both microcontrollers |
| Molding and Casting | Attachment mechanism to mirror |
| Input Devices | Trigger button, accelerometer (to detect when the car is stopped), (voice activated)? |
| Output Devices | Speaker, screen, servo to move up screen |
| Networking and Communications | SMS messaging, wireless communication from button to mirror microcontroller |
| Mechanical Design | TBD |
| Interface Application and Programming | Interfacing trigger button and accelerometer with output servo, screen, and speakers |
Rough Sketch
At first, I thought that a button on the steering wheel would require the least amount of scrambling by the driver as the officer approached.
But I ultimately decided against it because such a button would likely be accidentally pressed while driving. Instead, something that fits in the cupholder with a button that activates the machine would be a better solution.
Some other potential ideas instead of the flip-up screen I discussed with Dr. Fagan were a see-through LED screen that goes over the mirror and only turns on when activated and a bendable LED screen that is released down the driver-side door when the window is rolled down.
If I still have time after making the MVP, I'd also like to create a mobile app or website that lets users customize the message displayed because this technology could be used to help people with other conditions who may have difficulty communicating with law enforcement. Also, if possible I'd like to add some mechanism to the cup holder case that expands to fit a cup holder of any size. This is not necessary for the MVP, but I'd like to work on this if time permits.