Scientists have developed a new device that combines radar technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to detect unattended children or animals with 100-per-cent accuracy.
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‘The new system would prevent vehicle doors from locking and sound an alarm to alert the driver, passengers and other people in the area that there is a problem.’
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Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand at just three centimetres in diameter, the device is designed to be attached to a vehicle's rear-view mirror or mounted on the ceiling. 
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It sends out radar signals that are reflected back by people, animals and objects in the vehicle. Built-in AI then analyzes the reflected signals.
"It addresses a serious, world-wide problem," said George Shaker, an engineering professor at Waterloo. his system is so affordable it could become standard equipment in all vehicles." Development of the wireless, disc-shaped sensor was funded in part by a major automotive parts manufacturer that is aiming to bring it to market by the end of 2020.
Analysis by the device determines the number of occupants and their locations in a vehicle. That information could be used to set rates for ride-sharing services and toll roads, or to qualify vehicles for car-pool lanes.
Its primary purpose, however, is to detect when a child or pet has been accidentally or deliberately left behind, a scenario that can result in serious harm or death in extremely hot or cold weather.
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The low-power device, which runs on a vehicle's battery, distinguishes between living beings and inanimate objects by detecting subtle breathing movements.
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Source-Eurekalert