DEVELOPMENT OF A VEHICLE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC WINDOW OPENING

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and validate a vehicle carbon monoxide (CO) detection system capable of continuously monitoring gas concentration and automatically opening a window when a safety threshold is reached. The prototype used an MQ-7 semiconductor sensor integrated with an Arduino Uno board for analog signal acquisition, data processing, concentration display on an LCD, and control of relay modules connected to the electric-window motor of an automotive door used as an experimental bench. The MQ-7 was calibrated against a Testo 310-II gas analyzer, and the experimental data were fitted using a second-order polynomial regression. The model yielded a coefficient of determination of R² = 0.9926 and was embedded in the microcontroller code to estimate CO concentration. Tests showed stable readings after sensor warm-up and successful activation of the window-opening mechanism when the programmed threshold was exceeded. The results indicate the technical feasibility of the prototype as a low-cost solution for CO monitoring and automatic ventilation control in vehicle applications.