Product Improvement Paper

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Apr 3, 2024

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Product Improvement Paper The Car against drunk people. Product/Website/Process or Innovation Description: Year after year, technology is advancing rapidly. It is, in fact, advancing so fast that it has an exponential curve when plotted instead of a linear one. Many of these technological advancements have also occurred in the vehicle industry. We have electric cars and cars that have self-driving features. However, there are thousands of accidents caused every year by drunk drivers, and most of the time, the people involved die. In 2021, 13,384 people were killed by drunk drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day — that is one person every 39 minutes." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also says that even a tiny amount of alcohol can be harmful. This is the main reason why I want to change the system where people can drink and drive where they knowingly put other's lives in danger. Many technologies have been developed or proposed to prevent drunk drivers from operating their vehicles, such as breathalyzers, facial recognition, eye tracking, steering wheel sensors, and alcohol odor detectors. However, these technologies have limitations, such as being intrusive, unreliable, expensive, or easy to bypass. Therefore, there is a need for a more effective and user-friendly solution that can detect and stop drunk driving without compromising the convenience and privacy of the drivers. Fig 1 Drinking and driving

What aspect of design do you want to improve?  One aspect of the design that needs improvement is the accuracy and reliability of the alcohol detection system. Current systems, such as breathalyzers, may not accurately reflect the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of the driver, as they can be affected by factors such as mouthwash, medication, or food. Moreover, breathalyzers can be easily circumvented by having someone else blow into the device or by using a mouthpiece that filters out the alcohol.  The user interface and system feedback are other aspects of the design that need improvement. Current systems, such as facial recognition or eye tracking, may need to provide clear and timely feedback to the driver about their impairment level or be more intuitive and easier to use. For example, facial recognition may not work well in low-light conditions or require the driver to look at a camera for a certain period, which may distract them from the road. Eye tracking may not be able to distinguish between fatigue and intoxication or may be affected by glasses or contact lenses.  A third aspect of the design that needs improvement is the ethical and legal implications of the system. Current systems, such as alcohol odor detectors or steering wheel sensors, may raise concerns about the privacy and consent of the driver, as they may collect and store personal data, or may interfere with the driver's autonomy and freedom of choice. Moreover, current systems may not be compatible with the existing laws and regulations regarding drunk driving, such as the legal BAC limit, the penalties for offenders, or the liability for accidents. How will you improve upon this?  The first improvement to be implemented would be using a biometric authentication system that can measure the driver's BAC through their fingerprint or palm print. This system would be integrated into the car's ignition or door handle and would require the driver to scan their finger or palm before starting or entering the car. The system would use a non-invasive optical sensor that can detect the alcohol level in the blood vessels under the skin and compare it with a pre-set threshold. If the driver's BAC is above the threshold, the system will prevent the car from starting or unlocking and alert the driver with a voice or text message. This system would improve the accuracy and reliability of alcohol detection, as it would directly measure the BAC of the driver and would not be affected by external factors or manipulation. Moreover, this system would be convenient and discreet, as it would not require the driver to blow into a device or to wear any additional equipment.  The second improvement would be using an intelligent dashboard to display the driver's impairment level and provide guidance and assistance. This system would use a combination of sensors and cameras to monitor the driver's behavior, such as eye movement, facial expression, steering, braking, and speed. The system would use

artificial intelligence to analyze the data and determine the driver's impairment level based on a scale from green (sober) to red (drunk). The system would display the driver's impairment level on the dashboard, along with a warning message and a suggestion to stop driving or to call a taxi or a friend. The system would also assist the driver in adjusting the speed, steering, or braking or activating the emergency brake or the hazard lights if the driver's impairment level reaches a critical point. This system would improve the user interface and feedback of the system, as it would provide clear and timely feedback to the driver about their impairment level and would be intuitive and easy to use. Moreover, this system would enhance the safety and comfort of the driver, as it would help them to avoid or mitigate the risks of drunk driving.  The last improvement to be implemented would be the use of a blockchain-based platform that can store and share the data and transactions of the system. This platform would use a distributed ledger technology that can record and verify the data and transactions of the system, such as the driver's BAC, the driver's impairment level, the car's status, and the system's actions. The platform would use encryption and smart contracts to ensure the data and transactions' security and privacy and enforce the system's rules and regulations. Therefore, the driver can ensure that their information remains private from those with whom they do not wish to share it, including unfamiliar individuals and the car manufacturer. What part of psychology are these improvements related to: evolutionary, sensation/perception/mirror neurons/neuroscience, Gestalt psychology, or consciousness/distraction/attention?  The first improvement is related to sensation and perception, as it involves using a biometric authentication system that can measure the driver's BAC through their fingerprint or palm print. Sensation and perception are the processes by which we receive and interpret information from the environment through our senses, such as vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.  The second improvement is related to consciousness, distraction, and attention, as it involves using an intelligent dashboard that can display the driver's impairment level and provide guidance and assistance. Consciousness is the individual awareness of your unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations, and environments (Kendra Cherry, May 19, 2023, verywellmind ). However, various factors such as drugs, alcohol, sleep, meditation, or hypnosis, can influence it. Distraction is the diversion of attention from a primary task to a secondary task, which can impair the performance and safety of the primary task. Attention is the process of selecting and focusing on specific stimuli, and it can be affected by various factors, such as motivation, emotion, or stress. The intelligent dashboard uses the sense of vision to monitor the driver's behavior and to display the

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driver's impairment level. It uses the sense of hearing to provide a warning message and a suggestion.  The last improvement is related to evolutionary psychology, as it involves using a blockchain-based platform that can store and share the data and transactions of the system. Evolutionary psychology is a scientific discipline that approaches human cognition, emotions, and behavior through a lens that incorporates the effects of evolution over time (Lisa Fritscher , November 6, 2023, verywellmind ). The blockchain-based platform uses the principles of evolutionary psychology, such as cooperation, competition, reciprocity, reputation, and trust, to design and implement the system. The system also appeals to the evolutionary psychology of the driver, as it can motivate them to cooperate with the system, compete with other drivers, reciprocate the system's benefits, build their reputation as responsible drivers, and trust the system and its stakeholders. References  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration How alcohol affects driving ability, Retrieved on November 30 th from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving  Harry Haroutioun Haladjian Ph.D (2015, June 9) Consciousness, Attention, and Conscious Attention, Retrieved on November 30 th from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-consciousness/201506/consciousness- attention-and-conscious-attention  Kendra Cherry, MSEd (2022, November 10) How Psychologists Define Attention, Retrieved on November 30 th from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attention-2795009  Kendra Kubala, PsyD (2022, May 9) How Evolutionary Psychology Explains Human Behavior, Retrieved on November 30 th from https://psychcentral.com/health/evolutionary-psychology