Saving Time, Saving Lives: Diana’s Contributions to the Automated Car Crash Project

We recently sat down with one of our Senior Architects, Diana, who works in our Romania IBM Consulting Client Innovation Center (one of our Global Delivery Centers), and asked her to share an exciting project she worked on, as well as the challenges she faced along the way.

Having joined IBM over 11 years ago, starting as a Java Developer, we discuss how her valuable contribution to innovative projects has led her to the senior technical role she’s in today.

Tell us about an exciting project you’ve worked on

One of the most exciting and impactful projects I’ve ever worked on at IBM was for an insurance organisation of private insurers in Germany, related to a research initiative where they developed an app that automatically detects car crashes. My role on this project was to develop the back end of the app, by myself, and come up with a successful, end-to-end solution, all whilst reducing time for emergency services to respond.

A proud moment of mine throughout this project was being able to implement an algorithm into the app that aided in properly detecting the type of crash.  Based on the received data, the algorithm I implemented determined the severity of the accident and whether it required police or ambulance assistance. Depending on the type of crash that occurred, the app was able to send the correct response team to the scene of the accident, whether it be an ambulance, police, or others. This significantly reduced their response time and increased the safety of drivers.

Overall, this was a very successful project, proven through the amount of piloting and testing that was involved. This enabled me to make small improvements where necessary to ensure we could reduce the time it takes for emergency services to arrive.

What inspired you to work on this project?

It was really the idea of creating an app that drew me in! An opportunity to develop a completely new application from scratch was an invaluable experience and I knew I would learn new skills from work involved. In addition, it was a chance to work with IBMers from different cultures and countries, which was an offer I could not refuse as it enabled me to work on my German language at the same time whilst making a real-life impact on hundreds of drivers.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the development of the app and how did you overcome them?

Being the only IBMer working on the backend side for the first 1.5 years, I did not have anyone to advise me, or collaborate with, on technical issues that came up. I had to do intensive research to find the best approach, which made me more resourceful and helped me realize that I could believe in myself!

Can you share any success stories or impactful moments related to the implementation of the app?

One impactful moment was the first acceptance test, which involved a controlled car crash test containing our detection device inside. As a result of the test, we had access to very meaningful data to help us iterate for future enhancements. And of course, the biggest success was when the app went live and started being actively used by clients. This was the moment where it could really make an impact and start saving lives.

How do you envision this app and technology changing the future of emergency response?

I believe the development of this app could be the basis for gaining data about driving behaviours where we could observe them more closely and obtain invaluable metrics and insights. A big next step could be the ability to predict crashes based on these observed driving behaviours. For instance, spotting patterns that detect driver tiredness as an increased risk of an accident.

Furthermore, newer cars now embed such systems, which are developed by their vendors, so it’s becoming increasingly common!

What advice would you give others in the tech industry who want to make a positive impact on the world through their work?

Technology is a fast-moving and dynamic field. Ensure you keep up with technological changes as these can assist you to come up with creative solutions on projects that can have applications to the real-world. Always be curious and continuously extend your breadth of knowledge.

Whatever career you choose, as long as you do your work with passion and dedication, opportunities will always be right in front of you, and you can utilise these passions to make a positive impact on societies around the world.

Consider IBM as the next step in your career journey!

If you’re interested in the work Diana is doing at IBM:

• See a list of job openings, all over the world, on our Careers Website.
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