Smartphone-based Distracted Pedestrian Localization using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons

Distracted pedestrian behavior is a significant public health concern. Extensive observational and simulated research suggests that distracted pedestrians have a higher risk of injury compared to attentive pedestrians. In the United States alone, an estimated 6,480 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2017 (5,150 annual average for the past decade), and nearly 200,000 pedestrians were injured. These numbers have been increasing recently, with researchers hypothesizing that distraction by smartphone use may be a major contributor to the increase. One strategy to prevent pedestrian injuries and death would be through intrusive interruptions that warn distracted pedestrians directly on their smartphones. We developed a system, which combines a Bluetooth beacon-based system with a mobile app, to localize the distracted pedestrians when they approach a potentially dangerous traffic intersection.