Senior Design Team sddec20-11 • Dash Cam Defender | Sparrow
Dash Cam Defender is a physical consumer system that consists of a dash camera, a mini computer, a mobile
application and a software suite. The concept expands upon typical dash camera functionality by continuously
scanning the license plates of the cars around them. The associated software will also include a user reporting
feature, allowing a user to automatically upload video of, and comment on driving practices of others. Utilizing the
plate information and user reports allows for a large feature set: alerting a user when a hazardous driver is near,
assisting police officers tracking criminals with location data, providing insurance companies with additional driving
safety records, etc.
Dash Cam Defender would use a mini computer and dash camera sourced from existing companies. However,
the software would be proprietary. The system requires three main software components:
A website and associated backend database where user reported videos and comments are stored and can be
searched and viewed
A mobile application used to control the system (control the camera, upload videos and comments to the database
etc.)
An algorithm (likely using machine learning) to detect license plate numbers from live video frames. The mini
computer would then classify images based on this algorithm
The usual resources would be used to create the website and database, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and MySQL or
similar languages/software. The mobile application would preferably be developed with SWIFT, allowing for
simultaneous iOS and Android development. The machine learning algorithm would be written in Python given the
large array of existing ML libraries and support.
For CPR E 491, the project goal would be making a prototype that showcases the core functionality of the
system. This prototype may include a blend of student made and existing software. As discussed with Dr. Zambreno,
this may mean students focusing on the website and database for the project and using existing Automatic License
Plate Reader (ALPR) software to test the system. The deliverables will be explained in more detail below.