What a great idea Charlotte - a sustainable solution for drivers and their parents!

Is it possible to have a light on the drivers dash to show if the plates are activated?

A great concept Charlotte.

Also a great way to reduce the plates being left on accidentally and causing confusion with other motorists and traffic authorities.  Some great technical complexities in here and a lot of good crossovers in terms of social and environmental needs. 

Not sure how much experience you have had with mico bits or playground expresses, but they are a great way to start to build your first prototype. The team from LittleBirdy are a great place to start. https://littlebirdelectronics.com.au/products/circuit-playground-express-developer-edition?_pos=1&_sid=ef92ae8b7&_ss=r

This is a great idea Charlotte. 

As a provisional driver myself, I do find it annoying moving the set of plates I have from car to car, and sometimes find myself forgetting them and having to turn back or stop and buy new ones, which are overpriced and will eventually end up in the bin, contributing to landfill. 

As for how to power them, small lights generally have quite a low power draw, and you could look at integrating a solar-powered system into the panel, or a more reliable source of power would be the 7-pin trailer plug that the majority of cars have below their rear bumper.

Overall, you're onto a good idea and are on the right track.

Regards, Cooper Fairfull

CQU Bundaberg. Undergraduate Engineer  

That’s such a great idea, Charlotte. My name is Ethan and I am a 2nd year engineering student in ENEG12007-Creative Engineering and I think creating a digital display provisional driver plate that can display all the provisional plate IDs would be super useful and promote sustainable solutions. I certainly know how frustrating those plates can be from getting lost or breaking due to sun damage or forgetting to take them out of the car before your parents drive off to work, so I think you are on to something here.

I did have some consideration about your project. Firstly, how easy will it be to transfer the digital plates to another? Some users may need to switch vehicles, and depending on how the system integrates with the car could impact its ability to be easily transferred. Depending on what type of power system you are using can also impact the versatility you have when transferring it between vehicles. A solution for this would be implementing a rechargeable battery system that could be put into the car's charging ports.   

Secondly, I think you can utilize the idea for other conditions or people. People with disabilities often also have some sort of stickers or identification system to allow them to access specialist parking, which could also be implemented with the digital plate. In addition to this, the plate could also be used as a form of driving ID to quickly determine the current person. The workforce could utilize this for special parking, vehicle identification or company business logos. I think this is a way that you can make it more versatile to make the product more viable but still be able to complete your desired function.

Best of luck, Charlotte, I cannot wait to see those digital plates next time on the road.

This is an innovative idea Charlotte,

As a provisional driver myself, I am familiar with the constant issue of having to change plates between cars or dealing with the cheap plastics going brittle and breaking or suction cups falling off, or external magnetic plates being stolen. The plates are a constant hassle to stay on top of; after all if the plates are not displayed it is a $258 fine and 2 demerit points in Queensland. 

As mentioned, an issue of running these plates would be charging the battery to display the screen. A recommendation I have would be a solar panel fitted to the top of the screen. This concept is currently used in tire pressure monitors. The tire monitor is placed on the dash of the vehicle and on the back of the display is a solar panel that fuels the system. I believe this would be the most suitable option as it would result in a clean seamless install, mitigating the need of hiding cables. 

Another recommendation I have is to be able to have the display controlled from inside the vehicle. Most vehicles these days head units allow for mobile phone connectivity such as apple car play. If you were able to develop a connective app the driver will be able to see what the display is showing and whether or not the product is on or not.

All of the best.

Kind regards, 
Matthew Wood 

CQU Bundaberg. Undergraduate Engineer (ENEG12007)

Hi Charlotte,

This is a great idea. However, just hooking electronics up to the existing cars systems may be a big issue. Car manufacturing companies might void any or all of your warranty with this particular modification. It would also mean the regulations surrounding this modification would need to be approved by the primary regulatory body for vehicles, in Australia it is the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications (DITRDC). From here the installation would need to be completed by a service professional, i.e an Auto-Electrician and possibly be mod plated. Still runs the risk of voiding warranty if manufactures don't approve of electronic modifications.

Possible problems:

- The device is not installed correctly by the technician

- Device is incompatible with the system and trips fuses

- Drains battery

- loose wires causing earthing issues

- Damage to the front and rear of car, breaking the device, possible fire hazard.

- Installation costs and approvals by Federal and State regulatory bodies

Possible solutions:   

- A device that is battery rechargeable. Not connected to the cars electrical system

- Able to be attached and or re-attached. Could mean designing a number plate cover that has a metal backing and is sturdy enough to hold the device and display the number plates in accordance to road regulations

- Option A - Device could have a switch built on one side that you flick on/off and flick between L's, P1, and P2 plates.

- Option B - Devices' are Bluetooth compatible to your phone via an app. The devices stay in sleep mode until your phone connects to the car and only then will the plates light up. The app should have an option for notifying you on the battery life and how many hours of driving are available before needing to be recharged. 

Other thoughts: 

- How the battery and or overall device can function in hot or cold climates.

- Battery life longevity. Maximum usable hours before needing recharge. Look into Li-SOCI2 or LiMnO2. These batteries are used in electronic water meters and have high energy density's and long lifespans.

- Chosen LED's to be energy efficient

- Chosen material needs to be able to withstand the constant change in UV, temperature and weather conditions.

 This is a smart and practical idea that makes it easier for drivers to switch between L and P plates without having to get out of the car. It’s great that it also helps reduce plastic waste and lost plates. To help improve this project, I suggest using something like Arduino or Raspberry Pi to control the lights. You can connect it to the car’s battery using a 12V to 5V converter and maybe use a waterproof LED panel so it works in all weather. It might also help to use a small switch or phone app for changing the modes (L, Red P, Green P) easily from inside the car. Overall, this is a really good idea that could make driving easier and safer for learners and provisional drivers.

Kind regards,

Ronisha Magar

CQU ENEG12007 Creative Engineering

Hi Charlotte, 

The concept improves convenience, reduces plastic waste, and enhances safety by eliminating the risk of forgotten or lost plates. However, it may face challenges with legal compliance, visibility in bright sunlight, weatherproofing, and reliable electrical integration. To improve the system, you could explore adding automatic brightness adjustment, fail-safe modes, and modular plug-and-play wiring. Prototyping with Arduino or Raspberry Pi using addressable LEDs and consulting transport authorities early for compliance approval would help progress this promising idea into a functional and road-legal solution.

Hi Charlotte,

I can tell how hard you’ve worked on your proposal and how you have used your personal experience to shape your ideas, it’s great to see all the effort you’ve put into it!

Kali, Project Support Officer, IP Australia