It seems that every day, developers create new sensors or attachments to make smartphones even more useful. Driver’s Little Helper has created a device that helps parents and caretakers to monitor some aspects of young children while riding a car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2012, children under the age of 14 that were unrestrained accounted for nearly 170,000 car injuries, 1,100 of them resulted in fatalities. Plus, 37 children die annually caused by heat strokes from being left in a car, making this the number one cause of non-crash, vehicle-related death of children. While car makers have been making safer vehicles for adults, it is up to makers of children car seats to keep them safe, but since they are located in the backseats, it might be hard to keep track of them.
Bob Steffen, founder and CEO of St. Louis-based Cars-N-Kids has developed this product consisting in a sensor to be put in the car seat and a mobile app so that communication can be established between the two. Driver’s Little Helper is capable of monitoring the temperature of the child, in case it needs to be adjusted. It will also send a notification if the child leaves the car-seat thanks to a pressure and movement sensor. Additionally, it will alert the adults if the child is left in the vehicle for several minutes after parked, if the alert isn’t responded after the third time, it will send a message to some designated contacts that the child might need help. This works on kids that weigh at least 5 lbs. Car seats with similar functionality are already on the market, but with this stand-alone product, this technology gets more affordable and is compatible with any car seat.
The Driver’s Little Helper kit includes a sensor pad that fits between the car seat molding and the fabric cover, a battery power pack to be fastened with the integrated clip or somewhere near the car seat, a Let’s Get Started manual, stickers and a storybook called Dino Ryder. The App is compatible with Android and iOS devices and once installed, it connects with the sensor using Bluetooth LE. The system can be pre-ordered at www.DriversLittleHelper.com for a retail price of $79.99. Check out the videos below and visit the site for additional information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuXa42EX8zw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIeotIe31Rc