[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Since 1998, more than 870 children have died in enclosed vehicles because of Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH). In addition to this, hundreds of pets die per year because of hyperthermia in unattended vehicles. These already high numbers do not even include the untracked “near miss” occurrences. These tragic deaths inspired the team at Venturi, LLC to invent an advanced device to help prevent these events.
Thinking there had to be a way to help avoid these tragedies, Venturi leadership initiated an internal “X-Prize” competition, challenging employees to find a reliable solution to the problem of child and pet deaths caused by heatstroke in vehicles.
Several employees came forward with different inventions. The ultimate winner impressed the competition judges as a novel, non-obvious, and reliable solution to a wide range of problems: kids in car seats, kids playing in cars, adults with disabilities, and pets. Venturi employee, Ben Payment, invented the technology and named it Payton’s CHARM (CO2 Human & Animal Reporting and Monitoring) for a young girl named Payton who tragically passed from heatstroke after being forgotten in the family car).
After extensive research, development, prototyping, and testing, the Venturi team built a technology, now proven and protected under US Patents 10,169,975 and 10,839,666, to detect the presence of life in unattended vehicles. Using this technology, Venturi produced an aftermarket product for demonstration purposes and potential sale. The MIOS and Venturi leadership teams have embarked on parallel paths to pursue industrial partners in the automotive aftermarket and incorporate the technology into new vehicles through partnerships with car manufacturers.
Payton’s CHARM is a small device, roughly the size of a deck of cards, that reliably detects life-threatening conditions, sends alerts, and avoids false alarms. Payton’s CHARM device uses patented technology to detect CO2, temperature, and vehicle motion to determine and confirm a dangerous situation. The sensor is coupled with an escalating alarm, alerting a motivated party to the potentially fatal hyperthermia of children and pets trapped in cars.
Three primary inputs from sensors are required for the patented algorithm:
- CO2
- Temperature
- Vehicle Motion
Life detection is achieved by comparing measured CO2 levels inside the vehicle with expected values. The temperature in the car is used specifically to detect if life is in danger, that being decided through a temperature measurement and an association, acceptable temperature range. Through a motion sensor, the device is able to tell if the vehicle is probably being driven. If not, and the CO2 and temperature reads contrast expected values, Payton’s CHARM will send escalating notifications to the owner and eventually a 9/11 operator.
This technology is expected to hit the market soon and will ultimately save countless lives. We are so proud of the work that Venturi is doing and look forward to seeing the impact that Payton’s CHARM will make.
Learn more and stay up to date on when you can purchase your peace of mind at Payton’s CHARM.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”8305″][/vc_column][/vc_row]