Delphi has developed an infrared side alert system, called Forewarn, to detect vehicles in your blind spot. It measures temperatures in the lane 10 feet to your side and 26 feet back and if it detects a vehicle it signals in your side mounted rearview mirror. The information on the company website describes the sensor system as designed for light duty vehicles but it has just shown up installed as a motorcycle alert system at the Consumer Electronics Show, now under way.
Delphi Forewarn® Infrared Side Alert is designed to help drivers be aware of vehicles in their side blind spots when changing lanes and making turns. A cost-effective safety enhancement for light-duty vehicles, passive infrared sensors integrated into mirrors, taillights or side fascia measure adjacent lane temperature over time to detect vehicles entering the side blind spot. If a vehicle is detected in the blind spot, Side Alert can help drivers avoid a lane change accident by providing a visual indication in the mirrors. When the turn signal is activated to signal a lane change, the driver also receives an audible alert.
Johnny Huh? says
Anything that helps the oblivious cagers be a bit more aware of who’s around them is a very good thing in my book! Very cool new tech.
Hanny says
Whatever happened to watching over your shoulder to see if changing lanes or a turn are possible? Are we turning into wimps or what?
kneeslider says
I’m with Hanny on this one. Looking over my shoulder is second nature before changing lanes and it should be for you, too. I do think this technology is neat but I believe it’s intended more for cars and trucks than motorcycles, it just happened to show up at this display on a bike.
Lawrence Jackson says
Perhaps if they use this device in automobiles they could also tie it into the cell phine, ipod, coffee cup, vcr, gps, or other piece of consumer electronics 60% of the population of divers is otherwise involved in while drivinng. I would be delighted to see cell phones with GPSs that shut off the phone whenever it determins the user is moving more than 15 mph. I ride my BMW K1200 1000 miles a week through Los Angeles CA each week, and I would be rich if I got a dollar for every diver I found in the fast lane driving 20 mph slower than everyone else while they talk on the phone and hundreds of drivers pile up behind them.