Project idea
Use a Raspberry Pi and camera for drowsiness detection, trigger a 12V mini air pump to inflate an airbag on impact, and notify emergency contacts via a GSM module while showing status on an LCD.​
 
Project description
A Pi camera monitors the driver and raises an audible alert plus uploads a snapshot to an IoT page on drowsiness; impact is detected by an SW-420 vibration sensor to auto-inflate an airbag using a 12V pump and send SMS alerts via GSM.​
A limit switch confirms full inflation; if not reached in time, a relay-driven power cutoff illustrates pump failure and triggers a police alert SMS, with current status presented on a 16x2 LCD.​
 
Total list of components
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB).​
Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2.​
GSM Module (SIM800L).​
Vibration Sensor (SW-420 module).​
12V DC mini air pump.​
Inflatable air wedge/airbag.​
1‑Channel 5V relay module (AC switch).​
Limit switch (lever/roller type).​
16x2 LCD with I2C interface.​
Regulatory circuitry (5V regulation for Pi).​
PCB board (for interface circuitry).​
Resistors.​
Capacitors.​
Transistors.​
Cables and connectors.​
 
Features
Camera-based driver drowsiness detection with audible alert and snapshot logging.​
Impact/jerk sensing via SW‑420 to trigger emergency workflow.​
Automatic airbag inflation using a compact 12V mini pump.​
GSM SMS alerts to pre‑registered numbers for hospital and police.​
Airbag fill confirmation using a limit switch for positive feedback.​
Fail‑safe notification if airbag doesn’t inflate within a time window via relay cutoff demo.​
On-device status display on a 16x2 LCD with I2C for simple wiring.​
 
Applications
Educational prototype for intelligent in‑vehicle safety systems.​
Demonstrations of drowsiness detection, impact sensing, and alerting.​
Lab training on GSM notifications and actuator control.​
 
Dimensions (cm)
Approx. 25 x 20 x 10 cm(L x W x H) assembled on an enclosure to house the Pi, pump, LCD, and wiring.​
 
Shipping dimensions (cm)
Approx. 30 x 24 x 14 cm(L x W x H) with protective inflatable packaging as needed.​
 
Weight
Approx. 0.8–1.0 kg including the pump, Pi, LCD, mounts, wiring, and enclosure; the pump is ~70 g, and a typical display is ~33 g.​
 
Estimate project weight
Target packed weight ≈ 1.2 kg including protective packaging and accessories.