Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Educational Stick Shift Assistant |
Aadhar Patel Ian Kidder Maulin Patel |
Alexander Sirakides | design_document1.pdf final_paper1.pdf other1.pdf presentation1.pptx proposal1.pdf |
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| # Problem: Buying used cars in the era of COVID-19 is quite challenging as the demand for used cars has drastically increased during the pandemic. Being able to drive a manual transmission vehicle increases the number of cars available to consumers, especially since most manual cars are cheaper than their automatic counterparts. However, many people do not know how to drive stick-shift and learning alone can be difficult. # Solution: The educational stick shift assistant functions similarly to existing shift-lights in rally / race cars, except that it would be aimed at teaching beginners how to drive stick shift with audio cues indicating what to do instead of just a light turning on. Current speed, gear, and engine RPMs are easily accessible through the OBD-2 port present in all cars. The educational stick shift assistant would convey this data to a microcontroller via an OBD-2 to UART adapter. We would then process the data to figure out the most appropriate gear to be in, and tell the driver what they need to know to drive a manual transmission vehicle. # Solution Components: ## OBD-II Vehicle Interface (first module) We are thinking about using an OBD-II to UART interfacing board. A board such as this one would allow for us to interface with vehicle’s from various manufacturers. This first module would simply take the data from the OBD-2 port and transmit it wirelessly to the Data and Audio Processing Unit (second module) placed on the dashboard. The power for the first module will be supplied from the 12V pin on the OBD-2 connector. To enable wireless connectivity we would add a programmable bluetooth module. ## Data and Audio Processing Unit (second module) This second module would then take the relevant data wirelessly streamed from the OBD-II interface (RPMs, current speed, current gear) and do some quick processing to determine the appropriate gear for the car to be in. Once these calculations are done, this module will play audio to the driver instructing them on what to do. The audio would either come through an on-board speaker wired to the second module or be streamed through the car’s speakers using a similar bluetooth module utilized in the first module. The power for this second module would come from the cigarette lighter or a battery management system. ## Battery Management System (Time permitting) To add complexity if necessary, we are thinking of adding a battery management system to power the second module. This system would power the board using rechargeable batteries as an alternative to the cigarette lighter. # Criterion for Success: Interfacing with the vehicle ECU Bi-directional communication between the first and second module Processing data and selecting correct instructions Playback of instructional audio Enable a novice to navigate around the block in a vehicle with a manual transmission |
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