Smart brake pad early warning system: enhancing vehicle safety through real-time monitoring

A contributing factor to traffic accidents is brake pad failure, which diminishes braking system performance and extends braking distance. This work develops a prototype utilizing internet of things (IoT) to measure brake pad thickness, hence enhancing driver awareness through real-time monitoring. The system establishes the thickness detection threshold at 75% (3-4 mm) and 50% (5–6 mm) as a cautionary parameter. The thickness parameter employs an American wire gauge (AWG) 18 cable to connect to the ESP32 microcontroller. The web-based IoT monitoring interface employs Laravel. This method enables drivers to get prompt notifications regarding the decrease in brake pad thickness, hence permitting urgent preventative maintenance to mitigate the risk of accidents. The system underwent testing through friction at a rotational speed of 600 to 6,000 rpm. The test findings indicated that the sensor precisely measured the brake pad thickness with a prototype response time of a second. This system is suitable for implementation on old model vehicles that do not have an early warning system. The installation of this technology is anticipated to enhance driver knowledge of the state of the brake pads, hence potentially diminishing the danger of brake system failure caused by unmonitored pad wear.