I am looking to build or buy this unit. I have looked on the Internet and there are lots of very complex projects. Ideally it would be better to purchase one I think but the creative side of me still wants to build one.

I would like the unit to send me an SMS with the location of the collision if installed in a vehicle

Many thanks for advise or assistance

 

I'd be amazed there isn't a phone app that does that and more.
Meant for parents of newly licensed teenagers.
The tough part would be finding a cost effective platform.

 

The problem is that any such device has to have cell access, and that costs money - usually a monthly fee. You might be able to find a service that will only charge when the phone is used. This is intended for people not paying for cellphone service but wanting service in case of an emergency. Since your application is intended for emergency use, this would be a good match. If you need to make that call, having it cost a few dollars is not an issue.

 

I would like the unit to send me an SMS with the location of the collision if installed in a vehicle

If you were in a collision wouldn't you know where you were?

 

If you were in a collision wouldn't you know where you were?

He didn't said that HE would be installed in the vehicle at the time of the collision.

Lots of possibilities here, ranging from parents wanting to be notified as soon as possible if their kids are involved in an accident, particularly if in a single-car accident in a low traffic area (but, of course, with cell coverage) all the way up to managers of large fleets. I could also envision that time-critical operations might be interested. If an emergency vehicle responding to a call is involved in an accident, then rapid automatic notification back to dispatch could permit diverting alternate resources to respond to the call with minimal delay.

 

A quick google shows there are many apps for measuring vehicle acceleration. It wouldn't be a big step from there to an app for sending an SMS when strong negative acceleration is sensed. Stick the app into a pay-as-you-go phone and Bob's your Auntie.

 

A quick google shows there are many apps for measuring vehicle acceleration. It wouldn't be a big step from there to an app for sending an SMS when strong negative acceleration is sensed. Stick the app into a pay-as-you-go phone and Bob's your Auntie.

It wouldn't be just negative acceleration, would it? What does "negative acceleration" even mean? Would side impact be seen as a negative acceleration? Wouldn't such apps be measuring 3D acceleration? What IS the coordinate reference frame?

Leaving those questions aside, wouldn't ANY acceleration whose vector magnitude is above some threshold qualify as a collision? If the car is hit from behind it would initially accelerate forward with a high rate and then might slow down at a much more normal pace.