Sep 12, 2020 19:00:00

Tesla is developing new technology to detect children left behind in hot cars

In a car with the engine turned off, it can

rise to about 50 degrees in an hour in the summer, and the child waiting in the car may suffer from heat stroke or even die in the worst case. In the United States, as many as 50 children died from heat stroke in the car from 2018 to 2019, and Tesla has developed a new 'mechanism to detect children remaining in the car' to prevent such accidents. I am.

Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars --Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-safety/tesla-seeks-approval-for-sensor-that-could-detect-child-left-in-hot-cars-idUSKBN25G2GY

Tesla is working on a sensor that can detect a child left behind in a hot car --The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/20/21377981/tesla-radar-sensor-child-hot-car-fcc

Tesla is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to use interactive motion-sensing devices that work over short distances. This device is designed to operate on higher power than is permitted by current law.

The device uses radar to detect the size of the occupant of the car and recognize whether it is a child or an adult. It also identifies whether the person in the back seat is a child or an object, and prevents false alarms. Then, by using the sensor alone or the sensor and camera, it is possible to detect the breathing pattern and heartbeat of the child in the back seat. According to Tesla, approval of the device could reduce the risk of children getting heat stroke in the car.

The airbag system installed in Tesla's car usually detects the weight of the occupant with a sensor built in the seat and deploys it, but using the above system, the airbag is based on the 'size' of the person. It is thought that it is possible to further enhance the protective effect if it can be deployed.

Tesla has already installed various sensors in the car, and a 'dog mode' has also been developed that keeps the inside of the car at a comfortable temperature even while the driver leaves the car and leaves the dog in the car. Dog mode displays a message to passers-by by displaying 'My owner will be back soon' on a large display, and when it detects a person crouching near a car, it recognizes it as the 'minimum threat'. It also has a function to notify the surroundings that the camera recording has started.

You can see what the dog mode actually looks like below.

Introducing Dog Mode-YouTube


Inside the car with a dog in the passenger seat. The driver presses a button on the central display ...

When I go out ...

Switch to dog mode. The display shows the message 'Owner is coming back soon' and the temperature inside the car, 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). It is a mechanism that people who are worried about dogs and look into the car can feel at ease.

When the owner returned, the display returned to the navigation.

In addition, when and how the sensor will be installed in Tesla's car is undecided at the time of writing the article, and a Tesla spokesperson has not responded to the comment request of IT media The Verge. That is.