‘MyCINTA’ system to prevent child deaths in locked vehicles

In a significant step towards improving child safety in vehicles, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) has unveiled a groundbreaking prototype called ‘MyCINTA’ – the MIROS Children in Vehicle Tracking and Alerting System. This system is designed to prevent accidents where children are unintentionally left behind in locked vehicles, a potentially life-threatening situation.

Revolutionizing child safety

The MyCINTA system employs motion and sound sensors to detect the presence of a child inside a vehicle when the engine is turned off. If a child is detected, the system automatically sends alerts to the driver, system users, and an emergency contact via phone call and SMS. The SMS contains the vehicle’s coordinates, linked to a navigational system application like Google Maps, ensuring a swift response to rescue the trapped child.

In addition to notifying authorities and caregivers, MyCINTA takes immediate action to aid the child. It lowers the vehicle window to a safe level and activates hazard warning lights to draw public attention. Furthermore, the system activates the vehicle horn and displays text-based visual warnings on the windshield, such as “DANGER” or “HELP.”

Successful testing and validation

MyCINTA has undergone extensive laboratory testing and real-world trials, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability. The system displayed high operational consistency, successfully tracked and transmitted accurate location information, and consistently generated precise sensor readings. Most significantly, it can initiate responses within the critical first five minutes, minimizing the risk of heatstroke in a child. The window lowering mechanism activates within a mere 45 seconds of activation, resulting in a total activation time of just three minutes. This remarkable efficiency can be pivotal in safeguarding a child’s life during a critical situation.

The MyCINTA system has reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7, signifying its readiness for real operational environments. Moreover, MIROS has successfully developed two prototypes with identical functionalities, highlighting its replication capability.

Potential to save lives

This innovation holds great potential to prevent child deaths caused by heatstroke in locked vehicles. A marketability study conducted by MIROS has identified a high potential market for MyCINTA and similar systems in Malaysia.

MIROS’s Acting Director-General, Ir. Ts. Azhar Hamzah, expressed gratitude for the development of the MyCINTA prototype and called for industry players and stakeholders to support its advancement: “We sincerely hope that industry players and other stakeholders can support us in our efforts to bring this MyCINTA innovation to the next level.”

Ts. Mohd Khairul Alhapiz Ibrahim, the project leader for MyCINTA, emphasized that the system’s development focused on design thinking, using empathy and data analysis to determine specifications and improve effectiveness in addressing the complex issue of children accidentally left behind in locked vehicles, stating that this issue affects individuals “regardless of demographic or sociological factors.”

In light of the successful implementation of a similar system by Toyota in Japan, MyCINTA’s potential impact on child safety is promising. MyCINTA represents a significant stride toward ensuring the safety of children in vehicles and underscores MIROS’s commitment to road safety in Malaysia.