Every year in FIRST Lego League, the robotics team must solve a theme-based problem with an innovative solution. This year's theme, City Shaper, challenged kids to research and solve a problem related to buildings and public places. Read on to learn, in the kids' own words, about the team's chosen problem along with photos of their invention, The Cross-Walker!
The Problem
The problem we chose is about kids getting hit by cars in school crossings and what we can do about it. We chose this problem for many reasons. For instance:
- In 2016, 1 out of 5 kids killed in car accidents were pedestrians.
- In Ohio, from 2010-2012, there were over 2,500 crashes involving kids within two miles of a school. From those crashes, there were over 1,500 injuries and 17 deaths.
- The most dangerous time for pedestrians is 3 to 4 P.M., right after school.
- Kids in cities are 3.3 times more likely to be hit by cars.
- Police say that visibility is the key to crosswalk safety.
Existing Solutions
Some existing solutions to keep school crossings safe are 3D crosswalks, traffic lights, flashing lights, crosswalk lines, crossing guards, giving tickets, and extending crossing time. However, accidents still happen. Just this year, in Norwalk, Ohio, a 70-year-old crossing guard named Shirley J. Prater was hit while working at a school crossing. The school zone had crossing lines, walk signs, and traffic lights.
Description of Solution
Our solution is an accordion fence called The Cross-Walker. It is painted neon colors and has flashing lights so people will see it and stop. It has a crank (or motor) on one end that pushes it across the road. The device goes across the road in front of the crosswalk. It is designed to be used at busy intersections near schools and controlled by crossing guards, police, or teachers on crossing guard duty.
It is lightweight and portable so it can be transferred to other destinations as needed. For instance, it could be used at dangerous intersections during Halloween trick-or-treating or other community events where there are lots of people crossing streets.
The Cross-Walker helps people get across the street safely by making drivers pay attention. Our research showed that the key to crosswalk safety is visibility. The lights, colors, and size of The Cross-Walker makes it very visible.
We want to share the plans for making The Cross-Walker so that people can build it themselves. We don’t want communities to have to pay too much to keep people safe. We estimate that it would cost about $250 to build a version of The Cross-Walker that is pulled across the street by a crossing guard. It would use materials you can buy at a hardware store such as metal punched flat bars, nuts and bolts, and a wheel.
Check out our prototype photos to learn how to make your own Cross-Walker!
