SCC-PG: StreetBit: A Bluetooth beacon based System for Alerting Distracted Pedestrians in Urban Environments

仅在2017年，行人受伤就造成6400多名美国人死亡，约20万人受伤。令人担忧的是，行人受伤和死亡率目前正在增加，这引起了人们对某些行为和环境因素造成受伤风险增加的担忧。司机和行人对智能手机的使用激增被假设为一个因素。虽然利益相关者对分心的驾驶行为有所关注，但对分心的行人行为的关注却滞后了。研究表明，与未分心的行人相比，分心的行人明显增加了受伤的风险。我们认为，使用技术改变行为的跨学科干预将减少分心的行人行为。利用以前在智能移动的和物联网技术方面的工作，以及分心的行人行为，我们提倡一种主要是被动的伤害预防干预措施，StreetBit，当分心的行人到达危险的街道交叉口时，他们会收到基于智能手机的警告。该项目特别提出：（1）通过在亚拉巴马伯明翰多个地点进行观察研究，识别和理解分心的行人行为;（2）扩展和评估StreetBit，这是一款从放置在街角的蓝牙信标接收信号的应用程序，使智能手机屏幕警告用户将注意力转移到过街路口，而不是分散注意力的智能手机。为了实现这些目标，我们将与伯明翰市和亚拉巴马大学伯明翰警察和设施部门合作。我们的工作将通过建立和加强与社区合作伙伴的伙伴关系，进行观察研究以识别危险的交叉路口以及这些交叉路口分心行为的程度和性质，并增强和改进StreetBit以进行广泛的测试，为我们的综合提案做好准备。智力优势：在这个规划项目中，我们将：（a）创新，改进和扩展StreetBit应用程序;（B）建立、建设和加强社区伙伴关系;（c）收集关于多个城市环境中行人分心行为的详细观察数据。更广泛的影响：我们将通过以下方式产生更广泛的影响：（a）开展研究，通过减少行人伤亡来改善健康;（B）培训研究生和本科生，包括来自代表性不足群体的学生;（c）建设为社区服务的能力，包括为当地大量非裔美国人服务的能力;以及（d）开展跨学科合作的基础科研，为将应用转化为实践提供明确的途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In 2017 alone, pedestrian injuries killed over 6400 Americans and injured approximately 200,000. Alarmingly, pedestrian injury and death rates are currently increasing, raising concern that some set of behavioral and environmental factors has created increased injury risk. The skyrocketing use of smartphones by both drivers and pedestrians is hypothesized as a factor. While stakeholders have attended somewhat to distracted driving behavior, attention to distracted pedestrian behavior has lagged. Research suggests distracted pedestrians have markedly increased injury risk compared to undistracted pedestrians. We posit interdisciplinary interventions using technology to alter behavior will reduce distracted pedestrian behavior. Leveraging previous work on smart mobile and Internet of Things technology, and on distracted pedestrian behavior, we advocate for a mostly-passive injury prevention intervention, StreetBit, whereby distracted pedestrians receive smartphone-based warnings when they reach dangerous street crossings. This project specifically proposes to (1) identify and understand distracted pedestrian behavior through observational studies at multiple Birmingham, Alabama locations; and (2) extend and evaluate StreetBit, an app that receives signals from Bluetooth beacons placed at street corners, causing smartphone screens to warn users to divert attention to street-crossing rather than the distracting smartphone. To accomplish these goals, we will partner with the City of Birmingham and University of Alabama at Birmingham Police and Facilities Departments. Our work will prepare us for an integrative proposal by establishing and strengthening partnerships with community partners, performing observational studies to identify dangerous intersections plus the extent and nature of distracted behavior at those intersections, and augmenting and improving StreetBit for broad testing.Intellectual Merit: In this planning project, we will: (a) innovate, improve, and extend the StreetBit app; (b) establish, build and strengthen community partnerships; and (c) gather detailed observational data about distracted pedestrian behavior in multiple urban settings. Broader Impacts: We will achieve broader impacts by: (a) conducting research to improve health through reduced pedestrian injuries and fatalities; (b) training graduate and undergraduate students, including those from underrepresented groups; (c) building capacity to serve the community, including the large local African-American population; and (d) conducting interdisciplinary collaborative basic scientific research with a clear pathway to applied translation into practice.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.