As reported in a press release on July 9, Murata Manufacturing has announced the successful commercialization and deployment of a new child presence detection system, leveraging Wi-Fi sensing technology.
The system, described as a significant advancement in child safety measures, has been implemented first on a kindergarten bus in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, starting from June 3. This development comes in response to the increasing global concern over incidents where children are left behind in vehicles, a situation that has led to fatalities and has subsequently become a focus of automobile assessment criteria, legal regulations and global discussions.
Murata's innovative product aims to mitigate these tragedies by detecting the presence of children inside vehicles, even under conditions where visual confirmation is obstructed, such as when a child is hidden under a blanket or lying on the floor. The system functions by utilizing Wi-Fi signals to sense slight movements, exploiting changes in signal reflections for detection. The technology behind this product combines Murata's reliable Wi-Fi modules, designed specifically for automotive applications, with Origin AI's proprietary technology, which allows the use of Wi-Fi signals as sensors. The implementation of this system requires merely the installation of Origin AI's software on existing car navigation systems or telematics control units (TCUs), utilizing the vehicle's Wi-Fi system.
The verification of this technology was conducted through a collaboration with Yasu City, focusing on its effectiveness in detecting children left behind in the spacious interior of a kindergarten bus. Following successful tests, the system officially began operation on June 3. Its detection process activates once the bus engine is turned off, triggering an alarm and sending notifications to kindergarten staff's smartphones in the event a child is detected inside the vehicle after the engine has been shut down. Murata's commitment to leveraging its technological expertise to address societal problems is reflected in this project, with a focus on enhancing child safety in automotive environments.
