Safety Improvement: Eliminating the Blind Spot

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Safety ImprovementEliminating the Blind Spot
Jenna Blondina, Rob Fields, Eric Kane Matt
Koellner, Chris Mergenthaler, Simon Smith Intro
to Innovation and Creativity November 18, 2008
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Problem The Blind Spot

• Blind spots are the areas of the road that cannot
  be seen while looking forward or through either
  the side or rear-view mirrors.
• Direct blind spots are located
• between the front door and windshield
• behind the front door
• ahead of the rear window
• The larger the vehicle the more blind spots

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Impact of Blind Spots

• 413,000 blind spot related accidents per year
• 840,000 cars impacted
• 160,000 people injured per year
• 300 deaths per year

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Our Solution

• Use cameras on the sides of cars to check for
  blind spots
• Based off of blind-spot cameras on the back of
  some cars made today
• Would eliminate a good portion of an average
  cars blind spots

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How It Works

• The camera must be positioned so the field of
  view corresponds with the entire area of the
  blind-spots of the vehicle
• Placed on the top of 2 side view mirrors
• Lenses used are 2 tiny fish-eye aka wide-angle
  lenses.
• Wide-angle lenses capture a wider field of view
  at a much closer proximity.
• Problem fish-eye lenses bend and distort images
  due to the curvature of the lens.

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How It Works (Cont.)

• Solution CCD sensors create high-quality images
• Digital-imaging software controls and flips
  images so they are clear
• The vision will be displayed on a liquid crystal
  display aka LCD monitor
• Monitor will be a split screen in the center
  console of the car

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How It Works (Cont.)

• Images captured are the opposite of what you
  really see on the display
• Reversal is caused by software electronically
  straightening images through pixel enhancement.
• Clear picture helps you better gage the distance
  between you and the objects in your blind-spots
• Uses hardwired systems powered by the car's
  battery
• Digital images travel through cables running from
  the side-view cameras to the LCD display monitor

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Cost of Implementation

• New Mirror
• Mercedes-Benz average replacement mirror 200
  each
• (Price includes profit for company)
• Divide price by 50 100 each Reconstruction
• Reconstruction
• CNC Machine
• More Labor
• Camera
• Small, Flush, CCD camera
• Average cost 150
• OEM produces cameras for 50 a piece

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Cost To Manufacture (Cont.)

• Wiring (comes with camera purchase)
• RCA to monitor
• Weatherproof
• Software
• GPS Software by TomTom 180 each
• Iteris Inc. software
• One time fee of 75,000
• Labor
• Typical plant runs 80 hours a week
• Average price per hour 74
• (BMW plant)

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Cost Breakdown

• Total Cost
• (200 for both mirrors 100 for both
  cameras/wiring)
• per car 75,000 one time fee 74 per day
• 75,374 for first day on one car
• 374 for additional days on one car
• (16,000,000 new cars bought a year 300)
• 75,000 one time fee / 16,000,000 new cars
• 300 to manufacture / 80 hours of production
• cost to manufacture 305

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Financial Costs of Accident

• Legal bills
• Medical Bills
• Insurance prices
• Rehabilitation
• Vehicle damages
• Towing service

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Intro to Value

• 6.4 million car accidents in 2005
• 2.9 million injuries
• 43,000 deaths
• Financial cost of total crashes 230 billion
  dollars
• 840,000 blind spot accidents per year
• 160,000 injuries
• 300 deaths
• In a car accident it is very common for a
  passenger or driver to become seriously injured.
• System was not made to give benefits but rather
  to take away risks

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Value Created

• 753 average hospital bill 160,000
  injuries/year
• 120,480,000
• 6,195 average funeral cost 300 deaths
• 1,858,500
• Total costs / total people
• 763.18 value per person
• Not including salary loss
• 36,764 average income 300 deaths
• 11,029,200 annual income lost

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Innovative Techniques

• De Bonos Six Thinking Hats
• Creative (Green) coming up with an improvement
  idea
• Factual (White) how our improvement works
• Think like manufacturers
• Estimation
• Cost to manufacture
• Monetary value to consumer
• TRIZ based idea on cars back-up cameras
• Innovation Situation Questionnaire

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References

• http//www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market-insight-t
  op.pag?docid19917640
• http//www.articleworld.org/index.php/Blind_spot_(
  automobile)
• http//www.nhtsa.gov/
• http//auto.howstuffworks.com/rearview-camera.htm
• http//www.patentstorm.us/patents/6424272.html
• http//www.safetymirrorsonline.com/
• http//www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/automobiles/22CA
  MERA.html?ex1319169600enac2c02f0edc97848ei508
  8partnerrssnytemcrss
• http//www.mobileye.com/default.asp?PageID226
• http//www.hurt911.org/page15-cases.html
• http//www.brain-injury-sacramento.com/
• http//www.bls.gov/
• http//www.brandsport.com/blspmirost.html
• http//www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html
• http//www.itscosts.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/0
  /77CCD7BBA14039BC852573EC004F8DD5?OpenDocumentQue
  ryCApp
• http//findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4325/is_3_4
  /ai_n25116074/pg_1
• http//ask.cars.com/2008/01/new-cars-sold-i.html
• http//www.planningfortomorrow.net/2008/03/analyzi
  ng-cost-of-funeral.html
• http//www.Findarticles.com/bnet
• http//www.Mobilevideozone.com