Death of baby left in vehicle spurs safety invention

HAMPTON, Va. -- The death of an infant who was left in a vehicle at NASA Langley Research Center spurred scientists there to develop what they think is a cheap, effective method to prevent similar tragedies.

Three researchers have developed a system that alerts drivers when a child is left in a car seat. The technology is based on equipment used to monitor aircraft conditions during flight, and the hope is to use it to give parents added peace of mind.

"It appeared that we had the technology to serve as a second set of eyes and ears," said William Edwards, one of the inventors.

Unlike other child-safety systems that require rewiring into cars, this "child presence sensor" requires no hookups, said Brian Beaton, project manager.

Only three components are involved: a weight sensor that is placed under the cushion of a child's car seat; a transmitter placed under the entire seat; and a receiver that can fit on a key chain.

The system is activated when a child is placed in the seat and deactivated when the child is removed.

The transmitter sends a radio signal to the receiver. Once the receiver moves beyond a range of about 20 to 30 feet, it begins to beep. The power sources are a 9-volt battery for the transmitter and a AAA battery for the receiver. The system uses less power than the average home cordless telephone.

Unlike other systems based on conditions such as the temperature in the car, the NASA Langley system's big plus is the link to location, Beaton said.

"This is a much more preferred method," he said. "It doesn't allow you to get away from the child."

Edwards became interested in using aircraft technology to monitor children after a fellow NASA Langley engineer Kevin Shelton left his son in back of his Ford Explorer for almost eight hours while he went to work on May 18, 2000.

Nine-month-old Benjamin was pronounced dead after Shelton found the boy and rushed him to an emergency clinic. An autopsy revealed that the child died of hyperthermia, an overheating of the body.

Prosecutors opted not to charge Shelton, saying he wasn't "consciously aware" he left the boy in the vehicle.

While many residents expressed sympathy for the Shelton family, others criticized the notion that a father could forget his son for an entire workday.

That disbelief upset Edwards.

"I had heard a lot of people saying that it certainly couldn't happen to them, when, in fact, under the right circumstances, it could happen to anyone," he said.

KIDS 'N CARS, a nonprofit organization, estimates that more than 300 children died between 1996 and last year because they were left in cars unattended.

Edwards joined fellow researchers Terry Mack and Edward Modlin as they worked for about a year to develop technology inspired by tools used to study landing gear on Boeing 757 aircraft. They also spoke to Shelton to get some insight.