Design and implementation of a seat occupancy detection and weight monitoring system for road transportation vehicles.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2026
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Busitema University
Abstract
This project presents the design and implementation of an automatic seat occupancy and weight monitoring system for road transportation vehicles in Uganda. A single-seat prototype is developed using a 20 kg load cell, HX711 signal amplifier, Arduino Uno microcontroller, 16×4 I2C LCD display, and an active buzzer. The system detects whether a seat is occupied based on a calibrated weight threshold, displays the measured weight and occupancy status in real time, and triggers an alarm when the measured load exceeds a set maximum. Beyond seated passengers, the project also addresses the broader problem of unmonitored weight contributors in public transport — specifically standing passengers and passenger luggage — both of which significantly increase total vehicle load yet remain invisible to existing passenger counting systems. The prototype demonstrates the fundamental sensing principle for a full vehicle deployment and contributes toward solving the persistent problems of overcrowding, overloading, and the absence of automated weight data in Uganda’s public transport sector. Testing covers accuracy, repeatability, and threshold boundary behaviour under static loading conditions.
Description
Final year project
Keywords
Citation
Atwala, G. & Nkoko, J. (2026). Design and implementation of a seat occupancy detection and weight monitoring system for road transportation vehicles. Busitema University. Unpublished dissertation.