Emergency Vehicle

Detection System
Nikhil Vidyasagar
Aditya Jain
Michael Bianchi
Objective
This project involved the construction of an
emergency vehicle (EMV) detection system
that can be used to warn hearing-impaired
drivers of approaching emergency vehicles.
In addition to aiding the hearing impaired, the
device will also help preoccupied drivers
recognize the presence of emergency vehicles
when listening to music or when the windows
are closed.
Background
The Optical Emitter is used by emergency
vehicles to initiate pre-emptive traffic sequences
at intersections. These pre-emptive sequences
are used to clear the intersection and give the
emergency vehicle priority.
Sirens emit sound in a defined frequency range
and follow peculiar, yet recognizable, auditory
patterns. These patterns include: Wail, Yelp,
Piercer, and Hi-Lo
Hi-Lo has two frequency components at ~1100 Hz
(High) and ~1000 Hz (Low)
Introduction
System will warn drivers of approaching
emergency vehicles
Will take advantage of both Siren and the
Optical Emitter in its detection scheme
Will be using LabVIEW to implement
detection algorithm (proof-of-concept)

Benefits
Reduce emergency vehicle related
accidents
Alert hearing impaired drivers of an
approaching emergency vehicle
Alert distracted/preoccupied drivers of any
approaching emergency vehicles



Features
Autonomous
Low Power Consumption
Accurate
Reliable
Affordable Price
High Level Block Diagram
Hardware
IR Receiver
The infrared sensor will be used to detect the IR signal of approaching
emergency vehicles.

The implementation circuit is included in the IR module. This circuit will
amplify the incoming infrared signal and also provide noise rejection.
Microphone
The microphone will monitor the audio space in the vicinity of the
passengers vehicle.


Pre-Amplifier
This circuit amplifies the microphone signal to about 23x the input
from the condenser microphone.
IR Emitter
The initial emitter used for testing was built using a large
IR Photodiode array and a clocking circuit set to 14 Hz.
TOMAR Optical Emitter
The TOMAR STROBECOMII
EMIT3B was used for final
testing. It emits an optical
signal at 14.035 Hz + or 0.5
Hz.
Hardware Components
Software
Siren Detection Flow Chart
Siren Detection
Placement of Microphones
Microphones would be placed on side-view
mirrors (some weather-proofing might be
needed)
Placement in side-view mirrors would
provide access to wiring that would be
able to display presence of siren in the
vehicle cabin
Siren Detection Considerations:
Echoes
Echoes are just time-shifted, attenuated
versions of the original signal
The frequency content of the echo does
not change, thus any echoes will actually
help in the detection of a siren
Siren Detection Considerations:
Doppler Effect


V is the velocity of waves in the medium (sound
travels at 345 m/s in air)
Car/Ambulance moving at 56 mph = 25 m/s
Relative to speed of sound in air, there will not
be a huge shift in frequency
Accounted for in detection algorithm by having
ranges for frequency detected
Testing the Siren Detection
Must not output any false positives
Must be able to detect siren in the
presence of other noise
Three main tests
Ideal Siren Signal (directly fed into LabVIEW)
Random Noisy Signal (music, etc.)
Siren Signal with Noise (must detect)
Ideal Siren Frequency Content
Noisy Signal Frequency
Content
Siren with Noisy Signal
Frequency Content
IR Detection Flow Chart
Optical Emitter Detection
Placement of IR receiver
Possible placement would be on roof of
vehicle
Multiple IR receivers would be placed to
make sure line-of-sight is achieved
Testing the IR Detection
Must detect IR signal from the transmitter
(14 Hz signal)
Must not detect IR signal outside of 14 Hz
range
Two main tests
Must detect when IR transmitter is used
Must not detect when other IR transmitter
device (remote control, etc.) is used
Actual IR Signal
Remote Control IR Signal
Future Extensions
Be able to detect all types of sirens that
are emitted
Use the Doppler Effect to determine which
direction the emergency vehicle is coming
from
Frequency is upshifted if source is moving
towards receiver
Frequency is downshifted if source if moving
away from receiver

Commercial Extensions
Final product (with LabVIEW algorithm on
hardware) can be marketed as an addition
to most GPS systems
Would be most likely a firmware update for
GPS systems with some sort of sensor pack
Show location of emergency vehicle on the
GPS screen
Ethics
The overall goal of this project is to improve the lives of individuals who
use it. Advanced notice of emergency vehicle presence will hopefully
help to reduce the number of accidents involving emergency vehicles
en route. However, certain aspects of this project may be abused.
The device may be used to avoid law enforcement personnel or receive
advanced notice of their presence.
Also, the infrared transmitter that was used to test the IR detection
capabilities of this system may be used to illegally alter traffic flow
patterns or otherwise compromise pre-emptive traffic control systems.
Effort was made to ensure that the transmitter was not used for any
purpose outside of testing the EMV detection system.
In short, the benefits of this device outweigh the possible risks of
abuse.
Thanks!
Dr. C. D. Schmitz
Professor Steven J. Franke
Professor Douglas Jones
Professor Gary Swenson
TA: Mary DeRoo
ECE 445 Support Staff
ECE Parts Shop
Questions???