Next-generation technologies for preventing accidental death of children trapped in parked vehicles

Integration of computational and physical elements into cyber-physical systems is increasingly finding application in a number of different domains, including smart power grids, medical technologies, and building automation. In this paper, we study how the notion of cyber-physical integration can be applied to the design of the next generation of safety devices for saving the life of children inadvertently left into parked vehicles. In the United States alone, an average 38 children die from heatstroke after being left into parked vehicles by their caregivers. To be effective, next-generation safety devices will need to have the capability of sensing the environment in and around the vehicle, integrating and processing data from an array of different sensors, assessing the risk in real time, and triggering appropriate corrective actions aimed at removing or mitigating the risk factors for the child.