Every year, tragedies occur when occupants are unintentionally left inside vehicles. CARGUARD-Mini aims to develop an accessible solution to detect presence, identify potential risks and issue alerts, helping to prevent such tragedies. Help us turn this concept into a functional prototype.
A moment of distraction can have irreversible consequences.
Every year, in Portugal and in many other countries, tragedies continue to occur involving babies, children, elderly people, vulnerable individuals and even animals unintentionally left inside parked vehicles.
Many of these situations occur in vehicles without any system capable of detecting occupants who may have been left behind.
CARGUARD-Mini was born from this concern.
It is not intended to replace human attention or the safety systems provided by vehicle manufacturers. Instead, it aims to provide an additional layer of protection for vehicles that currently have no mechanism capable of issuing an alert when someone may still be inside.
What is CARGUARD-Mini?
CARGUARD-Mini is a Portuguese project currently under development that combines several technologies, including short-range radar, thermal sensors and environmental sensors, to evaluate signals consistent with the presence of an occupant inside a parked vehicle.
When predefined risk criteria are detected, the system is designed to issue different levels of alert.
At this stage, CARGUARD-Mini is a conceptual prototype. There is currently no certified product available for sale.
Why do we need your support?
The technical concept has already been developed.
Work completed so far includes:
- Rev.B electronic architecture;
- component selection;
- conceptual design;
- technical study;
- initial algorithm;
- product renders;
- test plan.
The next step is to transform this work into real hardware.
Funding will be used for electronic development, professional PCB design and manufacturing, firmware development, prototype construction, 3D-printed enclosures, laboratory testing, vehicle testing, technical validation and documentation.
Our commitment
We will be fully transparent throughout the project and regularly publish photographs of the development process, test videos, hardware progress, test results, challenges encountered and design changes.
Our commitment is to remain accountable to all supporters.
Transparency
This campaign does not fund an already completed product. It funds the construction of the first functional prototype.
Certification, industrialisation and any future commercialisation will depend on the results obtained during this development phase.
How can you help?
By supporting this campaign, you are helping transform an engineering concept into a physical prototype that can be tested, validated and improved.
Each contribution brings the project closer to a technological solution designed to improve safety in vehicles that currently lack occupant-detection systems.
Thank you very much for your support.
About the author
My name is Nuno Santos and I have worked in technology for more than two decades. I am a Computer Engineer with professional experience in technological systems, software and equipment used in critical environments. Throughout my career, I have participated in projects involving railway systems and the technological modernisation of equipment.
For CARGUARD-Mini, I have been studying detection technologies, potential components and system architectures, while preparing a development, prototyping and validation plan. The next step is to transform this conceptual work into the first physical and functional prototype.
CARGUARD-Mini began with a simple question:
Why do tragedies continue to occur in vehicles that have no system capable of detecting an occupant who has been left behind?
Rather than assuming that this problem can only be addressed by vehicle manufacturers, I decided to investigate whether a complementary, accessible and technologically credible solution could be developed for vehicles that currently lack this type of protection.
Over recent months, I have developed the technical architecture of the project, studied detection technologies, selected electronic components, defined the system architecture and prepared a development and validation plan.
Today, there is a solid concept, but the most important step remains: building and testing the first functional prototype.
That is precisely the stage for which I am asking for your support.
I am committed to keeping all supporters informed through regular updates showing the project’s progress, tests performed, challenges encountered and results obtained.
Regardless of its future commercial success, my commitment is to use the funds responsibly, transparently and rigorously to transform an engineering concept into a real and verifiable prototype.
Thank you for believing in this project and for being part of this first stage.
Promoter
Name: Nuno Miguel Cid dos Santos
Education: Computer Engineering
Experience: Technological systems, software and technological modernisation of equipment
Project: CARGUARD-Mini — Alert system for occupants left behind in vehicles
Budget and due dates
The objective of this campaign is to fund the construction and validation of the first functional CARGUARD-Mini prototype.
All funds raised will be used exclusively for the activities required to transform the current concept into a physical, functional and technically verifiable prototype.
CARGUARD-Mini is a conceptual prototype under development. This campaign funds engineering, prototyping and preliminary validation; it is not a pre-sale of a finished product and does not guarantee future certification.
Estimated budget
Electronic development (schematics and PCB): €7,000
Manufacturing and assembly of the first prototypes: €6,000
Electronic components: €4,500
Firmware development: €4,000
Enclosure development and 3D prototyping: €2,500
Laboratory and vehicle testing: €3,000
Technical documentation and preparation for the next phase: €3,000
The amounts shown are estimates and may be adjusted according to the results obtained during development, while maintaining our commitment to transparency with supporters.
Estimated schedule
Months 1–2 — Engineering and PCB
Final technical review; electronic schematics; PCB layout; component procurement.
Months 3–4 — Manufacturing and bring-up
PCB manufacturing; assembly of the first prototypes; initial firmware development; sensor functionality testing.
Months 5–6 — Integration and application
Module integration; diagnostic application development; enclosure construction; initial vehicle testing.
Months 7–8 — Testing and optimisation
Thermal testing; energy-consumption assessment; algorithm adjustments; false-alarm mitigation.
Months 9–10 — Validation and demonstration
Prototype validation; public demonstration; publication of the technical report; planning for the next phase.
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