Smart system helps prevent children trapped inside school buses

[webfact]

 

by Tanakorn Sangiam
    
BANGKOK (NNT) - Children being unknowingly left inside a vehicle has become a more common occurrence. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency has introduced a new system that aims to prevent these incidents, using sensors and AI technology to ensure no children are on school buses at the end of service.

 

The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) has introduced a new system for school buses and vans that helps schools and parents track the status of students onboard, providing an additional layer of safety protection against cases of children being left alone inside vehicles.

 

Called Smart School Bus, the system features a GPS system to track the vehicle’s location, student tracking devices, and an artificial intelligence (AI) system to process and report information such as the vehicle speed, conditions, and the status of children onboard.

 

Information provided by vehicles equipped with this system will be sent to parents via a companion app, and will be accessible by schools online. Parents will receive a notification once the vehicle is close to home, when their children get off the vehicle at school, and when their children reach home.

 

The Smart School Bus system is also equipped with motion sensors, which work together with tracking devices to detect any children left inside a vehicle. Schools can make a direct call to such vehicle, allowing them to talk to the trapped children.

 

The project, which has received sponsorship from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, will be piloted first in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Phuket, Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao.

 

There are so far some 3,000 school vans and buses equipped with the system across some 300 public schools, with a plan to install the system on some 500 vehicles operated by private schools. DEPA expects the pilot campaign to benefit no fewer than 5,000 young students.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG221109014535319

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-11-09

 

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[kotsak]

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

There are so far some 3,000 school vans and buses equipped with the system across some 300 public schools, with a plan to install the system on some 500 vehicles operated by private schools. DEPA expects the pilot campaign to benefit no fewer than 5,000 young students.

There is a simpler and cheaper way to prevent this problem, it requires a working brain and a pair of eyes to peek inside the van... But someone wants to make a load of money out of this. ????

[2baht]

Is that not the responsibility of the driver, surely they should be aware of the number of students getting on and getting OFF the bus! It's not rocket science.........................or is it? ????

[RichardColeman]

I mean seriously, if you cannot tell if someone is still in the back of a vehicle the size of a small shed  you should not be driving

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

and the status of children onboard.

How does that work ?

3 hours ago, webfact said:

student tracking devices,

What exactly does that entail ?

we can only hope none of this will be dependent on drivers or teachers.

[brianthainess]

There are so much easier ways, if the bus say carries 15 kids, give them a numbered band on boarding, and handed back to the driver on alighting, like a band for swimming pool lockers, plus an emergency button in the bus to sound an alarm. The drivers are the main problem not carrying out their duties as should be expected of them. 

[khunjeff]

Just look in the back of the pickup. Empty? You're good to go ????

[mikebell]

Thais complicate everything.  I park three times a week at a hotel with possibly 2000 parking spaces.  Usually four of these spots are taken. Vast numbers of spaces are roped off. It takes two people to admit my car and issue me with a printed ticket which I have to get stamped by a 3rd assistant so I can leave.

 

Surely it would be cheaper to have a co-driver to check for any children's bodies before they switch off the engine at the end of the day?

Edited November 9, 2022 by mikebell
extra thoughts.

[klauskunkel]

Finally a system that will shift the blame from the driver to where it belongs: the AI.

[lujanit]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

parents track the status of students onboard

Apple Airtags or similar?

[bluejets]

There is no "simple electronic" answer or application to this problem. No electronic device on it's own should be placed in a safety system and relied upon 100 percent,  the latter of which is what will happen.

I doubt this whole idea will ever see the light of day as there are too many variables that would make the system fail.

 

 

 

 

[BangkokReady]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Called Smart School Bus, the system features a GPS system to track the vehicle’s location, student tracking devices, and an artificial intelligence (AI) system to process and report information such as the vehicle speed, conditions, and the status of children onboard.

Or just check the vehicle carefully before the driver locks up and leaves?

 

It shouldn't be that hard, and I believe most of the cases of a child being left on the bus/van involve them simply sleeping on the seat.

[BangkokReady]

50 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Thais complicate everything.  I park three times a week at a hotel with possibly 2000 parking spaces.  Usually four of these spots are taken. Vast numbers of spaces are roped off. It takes two people to admit my car and issue me with a printed ticket which I have to get stamped by a 3rd assistant so I can leave.

That's three people in work, being kept busy and not asking questions...

[Cake Monster]

5 hours ago, kotsak said:

There is a simpler and cheaper way to prevent this problem, it requires a working brain and a pair of eyes to peek inside the van... But someone wants to make a load of money out of this. ????

I know that I am getting old, but when I was a Kid, the Teacher or helper on the Bus simply counted Heads on, and Heads off the Bus.

No AI or modern tech involved and simples.

[jak2002003]

4 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

I know that I am getting old, but when I was a Kid, the Teacher or helper on the Bus simply counted Heads on, and Heads off the Bus.

No AI or modern tech involved and simples.

But this new idea is perfect, because now when the kids are left to cook to death in the bus......no one is to blame...they will just say it's 'smart system failure'.  Everyone off the hook...and no need to expend energy making sure the children are all off the bus.

[Foghorn]

It wouldn’t happen near me because after the minibus drops the children off they go to the football ground and sit drinking untill it’s time to pick the children up and race them home as fast as possible 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The Digital Economy Promotion Agency has introduced a new system that aims to prevent these incidents

A driver with a brain?

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, 2baht said:

Is that not the responsibility of the driver, surely they should be aware of the number of students getting on and getting OFF the bus! It's not rocket science.........................or is it? ????

If it's more than 5 yes...

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I mean seriously, if you cannot tell if someone is still in the back of a vehicle the size of a small shed  you should not be driving

Most shouldn't.

[digger70]

Big money grabbing system. 

Give Each of the children a Token with a number .

 let the Lazy F1 Van driver collect the tokens at the end of the run. Easy Peasy, Cost  Very Little .

[KannikaP]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The Smart School Bus system is also equipped with motion sensors, which work together with tracking devices to detect any children left inside a vehicle

But NO SEAT BELTS!

[KannikaP]

5 hours ago, brianthainess said:

There are so much easier ways, if the bus say carries 15 kids, give them a numbered band on boarding, and handed back to the driver on alighting,

But it would take someone to teach the said driver to count up to 15 !   555

[bangon04]

Just what Thailand needs - another Tracking App.

 

Maybe it can be extended to university students who are considering going to an anti-government protest??

[PETERTHEEATER]

It is reports like this which are seen as incredulous to any right thinking person. 

The driver of the school vehicle is responsible to ensure that all children have vacated by physically checking inside the passenger compartment especially under the seats. The driver should be required to sign a certificate to acknowledge that. I accept substitute drivers will often turn up unannounced but that's another potential problem.

[2baht]

21 hours ago, lujanit said:

Apple Airtags or similar?

Eyes and a brain! Though brains are in short supply!

[JayClay]

Well I'm sure glad somebody is profiteering from the recent tragedy by installing ridiculously complex and unnecessary systems.

[BTB1977]

Or the van driver can check the bus evertime he parks it. Just a thought and doesn't cost anything.