VIKIE Donations:
Help Save Kids, Save Pets, Save Lives
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VIKIE Video
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VIKIE Intro
It is a fair assumption, unless you have completely eschewed news and radio for the past 20+ years, that you have heard of children, pets, and K-9s dying in cars via hot temperatures subsequently causing hyperthermia which subsequently can cause heatstroke and/or death. What is not always apparent is the number of children that have died. Since 1991, 740+ kids have died due to hot-vehicle heatstrokes. 740 and climbing! Tragically and extremely unfortunately, three have been confirmed in 2016 (Jan 2016 in GA and Apr 2016 in Texas and Kentucky) well before the summer of 2016 and the normal summer-temperatures that ensue (scroll-to-US-map-and-click-dots-in-GA-and-TX-and-KY-for-reports).
We at VIKIE are passionate about solving this nationwide dilemma. We have a patent-pending solution that will prevent and/or eliminate these tragic events in the near future and from here on out.
However, to further VIKIE and save kids and pets, we need funding assistance. This project has been ongoing and patent-pending since 2014. It has been personally funded by my team and myself. Funds have been completely exhausted. With your help, we can finish development which entails taking the VIKIE prototype to a live proof-of-concept vehicle(s). This vehicle will subsequently be scheduled for NHTSA testing to demonstrate to the government and the auto industry a viable and rock-solid solution to this problem. Together we can save these small kids' and pets' lives.
Why Develop A Child/Pet Car Device?
It seems unfathomable that children and pets could be left alone in cars long enough to die. Yet it has happened time and again. This brings up two pertinent questions:
Why VIKIE?
- 740+ kids have died since 2011
- 4 kids have died in 2016 months before summer temperatures begin
- 46 K-9s have died since 2011
- Unknown and/or unreported number of pets
And what can VIKIE do?
- Will detect small kids and pets
- Will monitor detected small kids and pets
- Will alert others until saved; if not will contact 911
Also, VIKIE does not judge. VIKIE does not care how or why a kid or pet is alone. VIKIE only cares about saving kids and pets. VIKIE will simply do its job which is to detect, monitor, and begin alerts upon dangerous temperatures and/or time alone (and other proprietary factors). If VIKIE's alerts do not cause passersby or the driver to respond in a timely manner, VIKIE will send GPS coordinates and a VIKIE message to 911.
As aforementioned, VIKIE will prevent or completely eliminate kids/pets/K-9s from dying in hot-cars (or cold for that matter). VIKIE is not a stop-gap or a gadget alarm system. VIKIE is a fully autonomous, integrated, and embedded system. VIKIE is completely unseen by all. In other words, if a child/pet is never alone and/or in distress, you would never know VIKIE was even installed and active. The same can be said for an airbag. You don't really know it's there unless it is deployed.
VIKIE works silently in the background detecting, monitoring, and alerting when/if necessary. The driver has nothing to do but operate the vehicle as normal. It is a really innovative and great system.
The following :14 second video shows a few of VIKIE's simulated alarms after a child has been detected. This doesn't even scratch the surface; there are a quite a few more things VIKIE does as well.
So, Whats Next For VIKIE? Where To From Here?
The prototype shown throughout is ready for tooling and further industrial design. Derek has taken the prototype as far as he can with current financials. Once the project is funded, we may or may not need to hand the prototype over to an industrial design team. First order of business once funded is to utilize the AT&T Foundry (Atlanta, GA). They do great things and may assist in taking the prototype to the next level. Derek and Justin will seemingly live there and work closely with them and guide them through all of VIKIE's intricate details and needs. The same can be said for using an industrial design team as well. These steps (design & tooling) are intended for the proof-of-concept vehicle. They may finalize the industrial design & tooling steps noted in the attached timeline below. However, if they do not, they will simply have taken first steps towards completion of such and the timeline of design and tooling will remain intact.
Justin will keep different phases on schedule. Additional coding for different vehicles will be handled by Derek and all should be debugged and refined in 4 - 8 weeks. Once coding and hardware are finished, Derek will work closely with an automotive engineer to wire up the vehicle(s).
Once the initial vehicle(s) are wired, NHTSA testing will be scheduled. We are confident we will achieve and receive a resounding and favorable report from NHTSA, which in turn will satisfy a new federal mandated bill (Dec. 2015) to research a hot-car solution.
Upon completion of NHTSA/Government approval, manufacturing will commence. Derek and Anthony will then market and reach out to various auto makers and other auto parts' makers to get VIKIE in vehicles to save kids, pets, and K-9s.
Funding
Where Will The Money Go?
- Proof-of-concept vehicle(s) for NHTSA testing
- Initial manufacturing/marketing for first line of kid/pet/K-9 saving vehicles
If VIKIE does not accomplish the entire crowdfunding goal, funds raised can still go towards parts, tools, and other equipment that will lose no value whatsoever while awaiting further funds in the near future.
What Is VIKIE's Impact? What Is My Impact?
VIKIE is not the normal flashy new invention and recall VIKIE will not even be seen. Aesthetics and new-gadget-flash aside, know this about VIKIE's impact: VIKIE Saves Kids! VIKIE Saves Pets! VIKIE Saves Lives! This project is uber-important. VIKIE has to rank in the upper echelons of all projects and/or inventions. Okay we are a little biased. However, VIKIE will be used to save a 2-year old from dying due to hyperthermia. VIKIE will save that loving pet panting in the backseat helplessly with no recourse. That 4-year old that might can open the door but was told to stay in the car banging at the window while literally burning up will also be helped by VIKIE. These are HORRIFIC events to discuss! However, these types of occurrences happen some 37+ times every year. And that's what backing VIKIE will impact. It will impact the number of kid/pets/K-9s hot-car deaths each year, until hopefully that number is 0!
Rest assured your impact of backing VIKIE will be felt in society and globally. This happens in the U.S. and overseas as well. Biased or not, VIKIE is a top-notch system and helping VIKIE to become realized will leave a pleasant feeling to any supporter. The fact that by summer of 2017, VIKIE can be live in multiple vehicle lines is heart-pounding; which is much better than our stomach cringing in knots as our ears hear of 4 kids dying already this year alone - well before summer temperatures. And unfortunately, possibly more to come!
Risks & Challenges
Once funding has been met, information will be available of VIKIE's status on www.social.vikie.net to keep all backers in the loop.
In addition, VIKIE is not shying away from improvement. Recall the first step is to schedule NHTSA testing. NHTSA runs extensive testing and does not simply hand out high ratings. Once VIKIE succeeds in becoming NHTSA approved, the standard for VIKIE and its life-saving system will be set and future challenges will be lessened greatly.
How Can I Help? How Can I Help Save Kids & Pets?
Donate Now
END CROWDFUNDING
Person of Contact: Derek Scarborough
Contact info: derek@vikie.net
