Research on Mobile Monitoring Platforms for Individuals Entering Dangerous Water Areas to Prevent Drowning Accidents

【Editor’s Note】According to the spirit of the “Notice on the Announcement of the List of Provincial Competitions Entering Primary and Secondary Schools in 2022” [Zhejiang Education Office Letter (2022) No. 294], the Zhejiang Provincial Invention Association and the Zhejiang Education Newspaper Group held the “Third Zhejiang Provincial Primary and Secondary School Student Science and Technology Innovation Essay Competition” from December 2022 to May 2023.The competition awarded a total of 72 special prizes (39 for primary schools, 21 for junior high schools, 12 for high schools), 219 first prizes (114 for primary schools, 75 for junior high schools, 30 for high schools), 486 second prizes (264 for primary schools, 151 for junior high schools, 71 for high schools), 971 third prizes (517 for primary schools, 312 for junior high schools, 142 for high schools), and 1772 excellent awards (969 for primary schools, 591 for junior high schools, 212 for high schools).“Zhejiang Invention” WeChat public account will successively publish a batch of award-winning essays. The “Zhejiang Invention” Douyin account will successively release short videos based on the award-winning essays for primary and secondary school students to exchange and learn.

Competition Group: Junior High School Group

Award: Special Prize

School Class: Fuyang District, Hangzhou, Yu Dafu Middle School, Class 9 (3)

Author: Su Zhiyuan

Instructor: Xu Bin

1. Origin of the Idea

Every summer, playing in the water is the preferred activity for people of all ages. However, during the summer vacation, drowning accidents frequently occur in non-professional swimming areas such as rivers, reservoirs, ponds, and ditches. According to statistics from national health departments, approximately 57,000 people drown in China each year, with 56.58% of them being under 14 years old. Drowning accounts for 25.6% of drowning deaths among primary and secondary school students, averaging 40 students drowning daily, making drowning the leading cause of abnormal deaths among primary and secondary students in China.

In recent years, as soon as the weather starts to heat up, student drowning prevention education has become a key social task. Schools continuously carry out training on drowning safety awareness and skills for primary and secondary students, requiring students to adhere to six prohibitions. Parents, as guardians and educators, continually remind students to pay attention to safety. Relevant organizations also organize patrols in areas prone to drowning accidents, such as rivers and ponds, set up warning signs, and advise primary and secondary students not to play in the water. However, the number of drowning incidents among primary and secondary students remains high. To explore the causes of drowning accidents, I conducted an investigation.

Inquiry Investigation 1:

Investigation Subjects and Locations: Junior high school students, 50 classmates

Time: August 16

Investigation Content: Invite classmates to play in three different locations and record their responses.

Investigation Table 1

Location	Swimming Pool	River Beach	Water Ditch for Catching Lobsters
Results	Go	Do not go	Go	Do not go	Go	Do not go
Quantity (Proportion)	90%	10%	88%	12%	18%	82%
Further Persuasion
Quantity (Proportion)	95%	5%	87%	13%	20%	80%
Change Rate	+5.56%	-50%	+6.09%	-27.78%	+25%	-4.76%

Inquiry Investigation 2:

Investigation Subjects and Locations: Primary school students, a waterfront platform in a square Time: 4 PM

Investigation Content: Who accompanied you today? Can you swim?

Investigation Table 2

Situation	Quantity	Proportion
Can swim, parents accompanied	6	12%
Can swim, other elders accompanied	18	36%
Can swim, alone	24	48%
Cannot swim, other elders accompanied	2	4%

Field Investigation 3:

Investigation Content: Select 3 waterfront platforms in the urban area and 5 water bodies in the suburbs to observe if there are significant warning signs.

Investigation Table 3

Location	Yu Dafu Park Riverside Waterfront Platform	Chenjiadong Waterfront Platform	Ge Creek Basin	Lake Source Creek Basin	Yunding Reservoir
Situation	Has signs but not many	Has signs but not many	Has few signs	Has few signs	None
Patrol Status	Present but infrequent	Present	Only Longlin Dam has	None	None

Data analysis from Table 1 indicates that most students lack the ability to remind and persuade each other when faced with invitations, and they tend to play together with classmates, lacking safety awareness and self-control regarding drowning prevention.

Data analysis from Table 2 indicates that 72% of students have parents who are workers and do not have time to supervise their children during work hours, mainly being looked after by elderly family members or during periods of neglect, putting them in a dangerous state of lack of supervision and control.

Data analysis from Table 3 shows that in suburban areas and small water bodies, there are no warning signs prohibiting entering the water; even in large bodies of water like the Fuchun River, the “No Swimming” signs are placed at long distances apart, which is not ideal for warning, and the frequency of patrols is low, making effective persuasion impossible.

2. Origin Analysis

Based on known investigation results and data from national health departments, I have analyzed some characteristics of drowning accidents:

(1) Randomness of Location

Drowning deaths mostly occur in rural small water bodies, where human activity is sparse, and the distribution of water bodies is widespread. After a drowning accident occurs, it is difficult to provide timely rescue. By the time parents discover their child is missing, a tragedy has already occurred. Additionally, due to the random distribution of locations, the patrol cycle is long, and information about drowning is not received in a timely manner, resulting in delayed rescue responses.

(2) Randomness of Time

The time students play in the water can range from morning to evening, making it challenging to conduct point-based persuasion over a long time span.

(3) Weak Safety Awareness Among Students

Due to the strong desire of primary and secondary students to play freely, they lack the ability to control themselves, analyze problems, and foresee dangers. They also do not have the physical conditions to self-protect or self-rescue in the event of danger, making them highly susceptible to drowning accidents. Some students, due to prior swimming lessons, become overly confident and lose vigilance when encountering unknown water areas, leading to accidents.

(4) Inadequate Regulatory Warnings Around Water Bodies

Conducting human supervision in areas with many water bodies consumes a significant amount of public and human resources, and there may be certain oversights, leading to poor effectiveness. Building multiple swimming pools or renovating the environment around water bodies would consume a lot of urban construction funds.

3. Creative Design

3.1 Overall Structure Design

The entire device consists of a ground insertion rod and an equipment platform. The lower end of the ground insertion rod is designed in a trident shape, making it easy to install and secure on the land around the water body. The top of the device is the equipment platform, which has a 2-degree-of-freedom gimbal installed at the front, equipped with a wide-angle camera and speaker. The MP3 module and main controller are installed in the middle and rear part of the equipment platform. The overall design and actual images are shown below:

Research on Mobile Monitoring Platforms for Individuals Entering Dangerous Water Areas to Prevent Drowning Accidents

Figure 1 Overall Design and Actual Image

Figure 2 Actual Image

3.2 Hardware Circuit Design

The device uses Arduino Nano as the main controller, and the main functions of other components are as follows:

Camera: Uses a 720p distortion-free camera, with a viewing angle of 120°, and adjustable pitch.

Figure 3 Camera

Voice Module and Speaker: The MP3 module can directly drive a 3W high-volume speaker. By changing the audio files on the SD card, voice prompts can be quickly updated. Additionally, through the design of a 3D-printed resonance chamber, the prompt sound can be further enhanced.

Figure 4 Voice Module and Speaker

Gimbal: To further expand the monitoring range of the camera, the 2-degree-of-freedom gimbal can achieve horizontal and vertical adjustments, with an adjustment range of 0-180 degrees.

Figure 5 2-Degree-of-Freedom Gimbal

The system structure diagram is as follows:

Figure 6 System Structure Diagram

3.3 Program Design

(1) Arduino Program Design

Arduino mainly receives commands from the superior controller (computer or Raspberry Pi) and controls hardware to achieve corresponding functions. The Arduino uses PWM signals to control the servos for horizontal and vertical movement, receiving commands via serial communication, and also sending commands to the voice module via serial communication. The entire flowchart is as follows:

Figure 7 Arduino Program Flowchart

(2) Python Program Design

The data from the camera is large, and Arduino cannot process it. A more advanced processor, such as Raspberry Pi, is needed. In this project, human detection requires the use of human recognition algorithms in Python, but can easily fail in complex environments. This project uses Face++’s artificial intelligence to recognize images, and the program flowchart is as follows:

Figure 8 Python Program Flowchart

4. Scientific Design

4.1 Plan Design

After completing the design on the sketch, under the guidance of the teacher, I used 3D software to draw each part, as shown in the following images:

Figure 9 Parts Drawn Using 3D Software

4.2 Platform Production and Assembly

Figure 10 Platform Production and Assembly

4.3 Circuit Design and Construction

After completing the model production, under the guidance of the teacher, I soldered the circuit and installed the MP3 module and servos on the seat, as shown in Figure 11:

Figure 11 Circuit Design and Construction

4.4 Program Design and Debugging

In the maker classroom, I completed the system function test, with normal recognition and alarm functions, as shown in the following images:

Debugging the program for human recognition in the maker classroom

Figure 12 Program Design and Debugging

To explore the performance of the device in a real environment, I chose to debug it under the sun by the Fuchun River, with the following results:

Figure 13 Debugging and Monitoring by the River

The tests found that although the gimbal allows for monitoring at larger angles, the monitoring range is affected by image clarity; the clearer the image, the farther the monitoring distance.

5. Product Analysis

From the discovery and investigation of the problem, to the repeated deliberation of the plan, to the structure design and assembly, to the completion of the work, the entire process is filled with continuous failures and challenges. There were difficulties in product design, material selection, and program design. With the guidance and encouragement of teachers and parents, I persevered to complete the entire design and modeling of the work. From the conception of the work to the production of the prototype, the entire process deepened my understanding of professional skills such as 3D model design, 3D printer use, Arduino wiring and programming methods, and Python program design. Whether it was insufficient consideration in the plan or careless design of parts leading to many detail errors, I had to redo many tasks. These work experiences are not something that can be learned from books or classrooms.

6. Application Prospects

The main innovations of the device are:

(1) Intelligence: Real-time human monitoring around the water body around the clock, with a wide detection range, accurate recognition, and fast response. When someone is found playing near or in the water, voice persuasion is conducted, and an alert is sent to the monitoring center, allowing water management personnel to be informed of the latest situation promptly, greatly shortening the response time from detection to persuasion/rescue;

(2) Promotability: Simple structure, low cost, high stability, with significant promotional value;

(3) Convenience: Plug and play, fast and easy to deploy and adjust.

7. Application Outlook

At present, the device has realized functions such as recognition, persuasion, and warning, but there are still some issues to be resolved:

(1) Reflection on the water surface affects the camera imaging;

(2) Integrate the Raspberry Pi into the device platform to reduce its size;

(3) Conduct further experiments and explorations on waterproofing and battery life.

Important Notice

1. The “Notice on the Announcement of the List of Awarded Works for the Third Zhejiang Provincial Primary and Secondary School Student Science and Technology Innovation Essay Competition” issued by the Zhejiang Provincial Invention Association and the Zhejiang Education Newspaper Group serves as the main award confirmation. The honor certificate is only for personal collection and will be delivered to the author through mailing or transfer. Authors who have not received their certificates can consult Teacher Xu (0571-85185980).

2. The Zhejiang Provincial Invention Association and its affiliated professional committees do not organize offline activities such as study tours, summer camps, and training classes for primary and secondary students. They do not require the purchase of the collection of works as a condition for selection, do not charge any fees to participating and awarded students, and will not authorize or entrust other units or individuals to conduct such activities.

3. The “Zhejiang Invention” WeChat public account will successively publish award-winning essays, and the “Zhejiang Invention” Douyin account will successively release short videos based on the essay content. Award-winning students are welcome to actively submit their works (send to [email protected]).

4. The “Zhejiang Invention” public account is the only information release platform for the Zhejiang Provincial Invention Association and its affiliated professional committees. Other platforms are welcome to repost information.

5. All information shall be subject to the “Zhejiang Invention” public account or documents stamped by the Zhejiang Provincial Invention Association. If any unit or individual falsely claims to charge any fees from awarded students in the name of the competition organizing committee, it can be reported to the Zhejiang Provincial Invention Association ([email protected]).

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