The Opportunity: There are a large number of distracted drivers on the road that put others at risk with their disregard to their own surroundings.
The Who: Others who could share this need include: Pedestrians, Drivers, and Automotive Companies.
The What: I hypothesize there is a need for a device that can be implemented in current and future automobiles to automatically detect and stop the vehicle if a collision is immanent. These sensors could be attached to current vehicles and detect when an object in front of the vehicle enters a range where a potential collision could occur.
The Why: Damages and tragic losses caused by distracted motorists have been on the rise for many years now and have no signs of slowing down. Without any braking devices or warning systems being implemented in many current vehicles there is simply not enough being done to stop this epidemic. By implementing this product into current and future vehicles it could severely reduce auto accidents while also saving drivers money on vehicle repairs and car insurance.
Testing the Hypothesis: To test the hypothesis I interviewed five potential customers for this new product:
1: James- The first interview I did was with James. James stated that this product would be very helpful while traveling through downtown Tampa as pedestrians very often walk across the street without looking for oncoming traffic, resulting in very close calls with drivers. James stated that he would purchase this product to ensure that he has plenty of time and opportunities to stop his vehicle in the event an incident like this happens in the future.
2: Rachael- My second interview was with Rachael. During the conversation I had with Rachael she indicated that as someone who typically traveled to walking trails around the state that this device would be invaluable while driving off road as it would provide a safety net in the event that a wild animal were to dart out in front of the car.
3: Chris: The third individual I interviewed, Chris is currently employed at a car dealership near Tampa. Chris stated that he believes this device would absolutely be a market for this new device in the form of dealerships that would be eager to supply this product as well as motorists who would like to have this device implemented in their vehicles.
4: Garret: The fourth interview I had was with Garret. While interviewing Garret he stated that while he would enjoy the safety net an automated braking system would provide he also brought up the suggestion to have a secondary device included with the primary device at the front of the car that could sense objects behind the car to prevent collisions while attempting to back out of a parking space.
5: Zoe: My final interview was with Zoe, a student at the USF campus near Tampa. Zoe was very enthusiastic about this product as she believes it would help alleviate the stress she encounters when driving around the campus as she believes the added safety net of an automated braking system would prevent collisions with unsafe drivers and unaware pedestrians around the campus.
Summary: After performing these interviews it has become aware to me that the "Who" of this product could be much larger than I had anticipated. While I had envisioned the product as an assistance tool for drivers that often find themselves distracted the interviews with Rachael and Zoe indicate that there could be a potential market in the form of outdoors drivers and motorists who travel in confined spaces that could give non distracted drivers a safety net to help them stop their vehicle in the event of extreme circumstances.
I agree that this is definitely a need. But many cars already have sensors like this. I liked what you said about being able to add it to current cars, but this would be costly and I doubt many people would do it. But you did trouble shoot well and tweaked your idea after your interviews. I think a venture like this would take lots of time and research as far as implementation, but it would pay off. Good work!
ReplyDeleteThis product is a pretty widely used innovation that's pretty much a standard safety feature in newer vehicles. I suspect that within the next few years, this would be a minimum safety requirement for all new vehicles. However, I feel like there is definitely an opportunity to innovate a way to implement this into older vehicle models. The majority of people are still driving around vehicles that were made before this became a more standard requirement. If there was a "cost-effective" way to put this system in a vehicle that doesn't currently have it, then I think there would definitely be an opportunity.
ReplyDeleteHi Aaron,
ReplyDeleteDistracted driving is definitely a current issue in our day and age with people constantly looking at their phones while driving or being distracted by the smart technology in newer vehicles. Just this month at UF a student was killed after being hit crossing the street. I know already more and more vehicles have sensors along the lines of what you are outlining, but if they could be made a standard feature in all cars it could prevent a lot of accidents like the one I mentioned from happening.