Brigade Electronics has launched a new predictive collision detection system called Sidescan Predict.
Designed for rigid body vehicles including coaches and buses with a minimum length of 5.2m, the new system uses six ultrasonic sensors along the side of the vehicle and artificial intelligence to scan for object detection data (such as the speed and distance of a cyclist or vulnerable road user) within a 2.5 metre area. This combines with technology embedded in the system which gathers speed, direction, acceleration and the turning rate of the vehicle.
All this data then feeds into an algorithm created by Brigade which calculates the risk of a collision in order to warn the driver. If a collision is predicted, an alert is sent to the cab. According to the supplier the features reduce the risk of fatalities by an additional 84%.
The system remains switched on when the vehicle’s speed is below 22mph, regardless of the indicator selection, and cannot be deactivated by the driver.
Brigade claims development of the system, which is supported by the Cambridge University Knowledge Transfer Partnership initiative, has been taking place for more than seven years and is the culmination of 10,000 hours of research. Sidescan Predict was first trialled in 2020 and received “excellent driver feedback” with a “significant reduction in the risk of collision with both vulnerable road users and static objects”.
Says Emily Hardy, Marketing Manager of Brigade Electronics UK: “Unlike existing systems, which simply register the presence of a potential obstacle, Sidescan Predict is constantly gathering data in a vehicle’s vicinity.
“This provides additional benefits to operators by significantly reducing false alarms and increasing confidence in the accuracy of warning alerts. We are delighted to add Sidescan Predict to our range of commercial vehicle safety systems and we are confident that it will make a positive impact to road and worksite safety and preventing fatalities.”
The system can be retrofitted to existing vehicles and the configuration software provides multiple system tests to ensure sensors are correctly positioned. Installation time is said to take six hours and can integrate with other Brigade systems. If the system should fail, an in-cab visual alert will warn the driver.
