Prototype of an Integrated Electronic System for Increased Safety and Comfort in a Car ^†

Abstract

This paper presents a simulation study and development of a prototype of an integrated electronic system, specifically designed to enhance both the safety and the comfort of passengers and drivers in modern vehicles. The proposed system provides intelligent assistance during parking maneuvers by alerting the driver to nearby obstacles, and it also actively monitors the internal environment of the car cabin to detect the presence of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, thereby improving occupant safety. In order to accomplish these objectives, a detailed functional algorithm was created and a corresponding structural scheme was designed. Simulation studies were carried out using the Tinkercad platform to validate the theoretical model and to test the behavior of the system components under realistic conditions. After a successful simulation, the physical prototype of the system was assembled and tested in a laboratory environment. The core of the system is based on the Arduino UNO microcontroller, which offers flexibility, ease of programming, and integration capabilities with various sensors and actuators. The study demonstrates the potential of low-cost microcontroller-based solutions for intelligent automotive systems focused on active safety and enhanced user experience.

1. Introduction

Old cars are not equipped with automatic cabin air quality control systems [1]. There are no features such as automatic air damper closure when harmful gases are detected outside or activated carbon filters to prevent exhaust gases and fine particulates from entering the interior. This is particularly important when driving in urban conditions or behind other cars, where the concentration of pollutants is high [2].

These gaps not only affect occupant comfort but also create health and safety risks, especially when exposed to polluted air for long periods or when driving in smoky or polluted environments [3].

The integration of ultrasonic and gas sensors into modern automotive systems represents a strategic approach to improving both safety and occupant comfort, while contributing to the establishment of higher standards in the automotive industry [4,5]. Ultrasonic sensors, through their ability to accurately measure distances and detect objects near the vehicle, play an essential role in facilitating manoeuvring in confined spaces, minimising the risk of collisions and assisting the driver with parking and navigation in urban environments. Their integration into driver assistance systems (ADAS) significantly improves car reactivity and adaptability to dynamic traffic situations [6].

On the other hand, the gas sensors provide continuous monitoring of the cabin air quality, detecting the presence of harmful gases and volatile organic compounds [7]. When pollutant concentrations are detected more than permissible limits, the control system automatically activates ventilation or internal air recirculation modes to limit the intrusion of contaminated air into the passenger compartment and protect occupants from potentially harmful effects. This ensures not only a fresh and comfortable interior environment but also an additional layer of protection for occupant health, especially when driving in environments with high concentrations of exhaust and industrial emissions [8,9].

The integration of these technologies testifies to the purposeful evolution of automotive systems towards creating intelligent, adaptable and user-centric solutions. They not only meet the increasing demands for safety and sustainability, but also contribute to improving the quality of the journey by implementing proactive protection and comfort mechanisms. In this context, ultrasonic sensors and gas sensors can be seen as key elements in the development of future smart mobility concepts and autonomous vehicles, where occupant safety and well-being are placed at the centre of engineering design and technological innovation [4,10].

2. Methodology for the Development of a Prototype of an Integrated Electronic System for Increased Safety and Comfort in a Car

2.1. Development of a Working Algorithm for the Prototype of the Integrated Electronic Car System

The operating algorithm used an ultrasonic sensor to measure the distance to obstacles and a gas sensor to measure the pollution level in the vehicle cabin. Depending on the measured values, the algorithm controls the LCD display, beeps and automatically adjusts the cabin ventilation. The presented operating algorithm in Figure 1 ensures increased safety and comfort for the driver and vehicle occupants.

The beginning of the algorithm starts with the initialization of all necessary hardware and software components—step 1.

In step 2, the criteria for the distances to the farthest and closest distance to a given obstacle are set [4,5,6,11]:

• Step 3: The distance is greater than 250 cm (D > 250 cm), visualization of the distance follows and initialization of the message “Safe” on the LCD display, the beep is turned off—step 4;
• Step 5: Distance is less than 250 cm and greater than 100 cm (250 cm ≥ D > 100 cm), distance visualization and initialization of “Mid” message on LCD follows, audible alarm is triggered—Step 6;

Step 7: Distance is less than 100 cm (D ≤ 100 cm), distance visualization and initialization of “WARNING” message on LCD follows, audible alarm is triggered—Step 8.

In step 9, the criteria for the presence of the level of pollution in the cabin or around the car are set (Measurement of gas pollution—A) [12]:

• Step 10: If the presence of gas is greater than 600 ppm (A > 600), the following is the visualization of the measured gas values and the initialization of the message “V_CLOSED” on the LCD display and control of the servomotor in the “CLOSED” position—step 11.
• Step 12: If the presence of gas is less than 600 ppm and greater than 500 ppm (600 ≥ A > 500), the following is the visualization of the measured gas values and the initialization of the “V_CLOSED” message on the LCD display and the servomotor control in the “CLOSED” position—step 13.
• Step 14: If the presence of gas is less than 500 ppm (A < 500), the following is the visualization of the measured gas values and the initialization of the message “V_OPEN” on the LCD display and the control of the servomotor in the “OPEN” position—step 15.

In step 16 a distance visualisation is presented on the LED bar.

2.2. Development of the Structural Scheme of the Prototype of the Integrated Electronic Car System

Figure 2 shows the structural diagram of the integrated electronic system for increased safety and comfort in a car, which consists of the following blocks:

• Sensors for distance and gas measurement—to convert the non-electrical quantity into an electrical one;
• Microcontroller—to control the input information from the sensors and output the current results from the same;
• LCD display and LED bar for visualization of measured parameters;
• Audible beeping—for immediate notification to the driver of the vehicle’s dislocation from the nearest object;
• Control—a servomotor is used to control a valve to provide clean air in the cabin of the vehicle.

2.3. Virtual Environment for Simulation and Testing of the Prototype of the Integrated Electronic Car System

The simulation study was performed in the web-based application “Tinkercad”, a free online platform for 3D design, electronics and coding developed by Autodesk. “Tinkercad” offers a simple and intuitive interface that allows users to create and simulate electronic circuits, including Arduino UNO R3 designs, before implementing them. The platform is trusted by more than 75 million users worldwide, including schoolchildren, students, engineers, educators and hobby enthusiasts. The application provides a virtual working environment in which various electronic components and connections can be modeled and tested using visual blocks or C++ code. Using “Tinkercad” for simulations reduces the need for physical components in the early development stage, saves time and resources, and allows bugs to be detected and corrected early in the design phase. This makes it a preferred tool for educational and research purposes, as well as for prototyping innovative solutions [13,14].

3. Results

3.1. Results of a Simulation Study of a Prototype Integrated Electronic Car System

Figure 3a–f encapsulates the principal outcomes of the Tinkercad-based simulation campaign. At an object-to-sensor separation of 255 cm (Figure 3a,b), the ultrasonic transducer registers the presence of an obstacle and prompts the control algorithm to energise the LED bar in green, accompanied by the alphanumeric string “SAFE” on the LCD—an explicit indication that the manoeuvring envelope remains unconstrained.

When the measured distance falls below 250 cm yet exceeds 100 cm (Figure 3c,d), the supervisory logic transitions to a cautionary state: the LED bar is re-illuminated in yellow, the acoustic transducer (buzzer) is activated with a moderate duty cycle, and the display surface issues the intermediate alert “MID.” This regimen affords the driver ample time for corrective action while signalling an incipient proximity hazard.

Finally, at separations inferior to 100 cm (Figure 3e,f), the system escalates to a high-risk condition. The auditory warning intensifies both in frequency and duty cycle, the LED bar asserts its red channel, and the LCD conveys the unequivocal admonition “WARNING.” Collectively, these discrete visual and acoustic modalities furnish a graded, multisensory feedback scheme that mirrors real-world automotive parking-assist behaviour and validates the efficacy of the proposed control algorithm within the virtual prototyping environment.

Figure 4a depicts the benign scenario, in which the gas sensor registers a particle concentration that remains well below the pre-defined safety threshold. Consequently, the control algorithm withholds any actuation signal, leaving the coupled servomotor in its quiescent state—a behaviour that confirms both the sensor’s baseline stability and the absence of false-positive triggers.

Conversely, Figure 4b captures the critical regime wherein the measured concentration surpasses the hazardous threshold established during calibration. Upon this event, the microcontroller instantly issues a command pulse, driving the servomotor to its designated mitigation position (e.g., activating a ventilation flap or isolation mechanism). This rapid mechanical response exemplifies the system’s capacity for real-time intervention, thereby mitigating occupant exposure to toxic gases and validating the efficacy of the integrated sensing-actuation loop within the simulated environment.

3.2. Practical Implementation of a Prototype of an Integrated Electronic System for Increasing Safety and Comfort in a Car

For the practical realization of the prototype of an integrated electronic system for increasing safety and comfort in a car the following electronic elements were synthesized:

• Gas sensor—MQ2 sensor is selected, which is a MOS (metal oxide semiconductor) sensor. Metal oxide sensors are also known as hemiresistors because the sensing is based on the change in resistance of the sensing material when exposed to gases [15].
• Ultrasonic Sensor—HC-SR04 ((Elimex Ltd., Ruse, Bulgaria; manufactured in Shenzhen, China))is an affordable and easy-to-use distance measurement sensor that has a range of 2 cm to 400 cm. The sensor is composed of two ultrasonic transducers. One is a transmitter that emits ultrasonic sound pulses and the other is a receiver that listens to the reflected waves. It is essentially a SONAR, which is used in submarines to detect underwater objects [16].
• The UNO board is Arduino’s flagship product. Whether you’re new to the world of electronics, or you’ll be using the UNO R3 as a tool for educational purposes, or for industry-related tasks [17].
• LCD display—liquid crystal display for displaying a series of words or sensor data. A 16 × 2 character LCD display can display 32 ASCII characters in two lines.
• LED bar—WS2812 (Elimex Ltd., Ruse, Bulgaria; manufactured in Shenzhen, China) is selected, which is an intelligent LED light source for control, in which the control circuit and RGB chip are integrated in a package of 5050 components. Internally, it includes an intelligent digital port for data logging and an amplifier to reshape the signal from the drive circuit. It also includes a precision internal oscillator and a programmable constant current 12 V voltage-control part, which effectively guarantees a constant pixel light color height.
• Servo Motor—SG90 (Tower Pro Pte Ltd., Shenzhen, China; supplied by Elimex Ltd., Ruse, Bulgaria) was selected which is a hobby type servo position control motor and has the ability to control its position approximately 180 degrees. This is a standalone package including motor, feedback sensor and driver, and only 3 wires are required to control the position [18].
• As in any electronic equipment, we have a power supply module providing the necessary voltages and currents for the normal operation of the integrated electronic system. In the car, the constant voltage is 12 V, and to power the electronic system the voltage needs to be reduced to 5 V.

The proposed monitoring and automation solution provides a good basis for further development of the system, through integration with other systems and devices and the possibility of adding more than one managed device (Figure 5).

4. Discussion

The integrated electronic system developed in this study relies on the seamless coordination of sensors and actuators, all controlled by the Arduino UNO microcontroller (Arduino-compatible, Shenzhen, China; supplied by Elimex Ltd., Ruse, Bulgaria). The system aims to enhance safety and comfort within the vehicle by detecting potential hazards and providing real-time feedback to the driver.

The current prototype offers a robust foundation for further development and integration. It can easily be expanded by adding more sensors or integrating with other vehicle systems, such as advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) or in-car infotainment systems. Future versions of the system could incorporate machine learning algorithms to adjust the gas detection thresholds dynamically based on driving conditions or the vehicle’s internal environment, enhancing both accuracy and adaptability.

Additionally, the current evaluation was confined to laboratory and simulated settings; full-scale vehicular trials are required to assess electromagnetic compatibility, temperature drift, and vibration robustness. Future iterations will therefore (i) integrate CAN or LIN transceivers for in-vehicle networking, (ii) embed wireless telemetry via ESP32 for remote diagnostics, and (iii) apply adaptive algorithms to refine gas-threshold calibration under varying environmental conditions. Such extensions will position the system for seamless incorporation into emerging advanced driver-assistance and cabin-health architectures.

5. Conclusions

This study has demonstrated that a low-cost, Arduino-based electronic architecture can seamlessly unite ultrasonic ranging and gas-sensing subsystems to deliver a graded, multisensory safety-enhancement package for passenger vehicles. The simulation in Tinkercad verified the functional algorithm and hardware topology, while the laboratory prototype confirmed real-time responsiveness: (i) centimetre-level obstacle detection triggered colour-coded LED feedback, adaptive buzzer tones, and alphanumeric LCD prompts, and (ii) ppm-level gas monitoring actuated a mitigation servo within milliseconds of threshold exceedance. These results substantiate three principal contributions: Accident-avoidance capability. The ultrasonic module reduced collision risk throughout the 2–400 cm envelope by escalating warnings from SAFE to WARNING with clearly discernible visual–acoustic cues.; Continuous cabin-air surveillance. The MQ-2 sensor afforded early detection of noxious gases, enabling automated ventilation control and thus safeguarding occupant health.; Human-centred information design. The concurrent use of LCD text, RGB LEDs, and graduated audio signals-maintained driver situational awareness without cognitive overload.

Beyond these tangible benefits, the work underscores the feasibility of deploying open-hardware platforms for intelligent automotive functions at a fraction of the cost of proprietary solutions.

In sum, the prototype confirms that modular, microcontroller-driven designs can deliver reliable, real-time interventions that enhance both safety and comfort, laying a solid foundation for further academic investigation and industrial adoption.