Meet Daniil Prokofev, 17, whose safer walking app is being piloted by 14 schools

For many pupils, the journey home after school is a matter of course. However, for Daniil Prokofev, a 17-year-old student, an eight-mile walk home transformed into a critical lesson. Google Maps had plotted a route along Braddock Road, lacking sidewalks, placing him in close proximity to moving vehicles and dense foliage as evening approached.

This seemingly straightforward trip became a stark reminder of navigation apps' potential to disregard a crucial element: the safety of the user. Prokofev, along with two fellow students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, sought to address this concern by developing SafeWalkr, a pedestrian navigation platform prioritizing safety.

The project, born from a 24-hour coding challenge, is now being tested by 14 schools in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Prokofev, now a senior, initially believed standard pedestrian routes would inherently consider safety. However, his experience revealed a common issue faced by pedestrians and cyclists. Conventional navigation systems primarily prioritize speed, sometimes resulting in routes that involve walking near fast-moving traffic, crossing roads with limited pedestrian facilities, or passing by areas without sidewalks.

When discussing this issue with classmates Ashwath Muppa and Isaac Leetyn, they realized they had faced similar challenges. During HackTJ, the school's annual coding competition, these students saw an opportunity to create a more effective solution. Utilizing their machine learning knowledge under the guidance of teacher Nicole Kim, they developed an algorithm that incorporated safety factors alongside travel time.

The SafeWalkr platform integrates data from Fairfax County records, Google Maps imagery, and street databases, mapping features such as crosswalks, traffic density, and sidewalk access. The system employs Python, JavaScript, and C++ to construct the algorithm and features a user-friendly website accessible to both parents and students.

The students gathered information to identify safer routes, but this data was often not integrated into mainstream navigation algorithms. Prokofev, Muppa, and Leetyn received support from school officials, including TJHSST Principal Mike Mukai, who connected them with the FCPS Safe Routes to School team. They also consulted with FCPS Chief Technology Officer Gautam Sethi, Chief Safety and Security Officer Brian Lambert, and math teacher Sewon Yang, who served as the project's advisor, ensuring the platform met the practical needs of families and adhered to safety protocols.

The platform will be piloted in the walking zones of 14 FCPS schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, launching on National Walk and Roll to School Day.