Brigade offers ‘birds-eye’ view of truck surroundings

By Categories: Commercial NewsPublished On: Wednesday 6 March 2013

4brigadeAn increasing number of cyclists in cities and the inevitable rise in casualties from bike-truck collisions has led to a political focus on the blindspots of large vehicles.

Brigade’s Smarteye offers the driver a ‘birds-eye’ view of his truck’s surroundings, thanks to four cameras with 187-degree lenses and a software package that stitches the four images generated into one continuous view. The stitch lines can be positioned to suit the vehicle in question, providing the best visibility for critical blind spots at all heights. The software also balances the lighting across all views for an even, real-time image.

The system means the driver can take in his surroundings in one glance at a monitor, which provides a considerable improvement over the current situation where he has to scan six or seven mirrors and still contend with blindspots they cannot cover, some of which are even created by the mirrors themselves.

The system setup automatically prevents calibration on uneven ground, thereby helping avoid accidental blind spots and making safety paramount from the beginning. The self-monitoring system automatically switches off a camera in the event of a malfunction, guaranteeing there are no frozen frames and encouraging the operator to seek further diagnostics.

Emily Randall, Brigade’s marketing communications manager said: “This revolutionary process takes camera monitor systems to the next level in the advancement of vehicle safety, providing ultimate visibility and reducing driver overload by presenting the driver’s landscape on one monitor. Operators can even choose vehicle type and livery so they see the actual vehicle footprint on the monitor, making the image recognisable to the driver.”

Smarteye will be on the Brigade stand at the Commercial Vehicle Show.

www.brigade-electronics.com