Innovative US car brand Tesla has applied for approval on a motion sensing technology which will have a range of potential uses, including one which will identify if any occupants have been left in a parked car.
Tesla would like to introduce a short-range radar technology into their systems, which is essentially an extremely sensitive motion sensing device which can monitor all movement and changes within the inside of a car.
As well as sensing whether a child has been left in a hot car, the technology could also be used to protect against theft, and also to monitor any structural damage as well as be used for advanced airbag deployment and seat-belt reminders.
The technology will be able to differentiate between a human and a random object by detecting micro-movements such as breathing and heart rate and will also be able to ‘see through’ soft objects like a blanket. Tesla’s application points out that between 2018 and 2019 more than 50 youngsters died in cars due to heatstroke after being forgotten or left-behind.
In 2019 Tesla added a ‘Dog Mode’ function to their in-car technology, which keeps the temperature within the vehicle at a comfortable temperature whilst also showing the car’s temperature on the screen which will also notify passers-by that the owner will be back soon.