NOVELDA Aims to Prevent Kids Being Forgotten in Hot Cars with Its New Ultra-Wideband Radar Sensor
Designed to prevent heatstroke deaths in parked vehicles, NOVELDA's latest sensor aims to meet the requirements of the HOT CARS Act.
Ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor specialist NOVELDA has announced its latest creation: a child presence detection sensor, which aims to prevent children being locked in hot cars by mistake.
"By inventing this revolutionary UWB child presence detection radar sensor, we dramatically simplify automotive manufacturers' integration of lifesaving child presence detection technology into their new vehicles," claims NOVELDA chief commercial officer Jean-Christophe Doucet. "Our new radar combines unrivaled reliability and energy efficiency that far exceeds the capabilities of competing UWB and 60GHz sensors. Our sensor is the solution of choice for helping automakers prevent tragic deaths from pediatric heatstroke."
Parked in the sun, the interior of a car heats up quickly — exceeding the outside temperature by 40°F after only sixty minutes. For pets or children left inside those temperatures can spell disaster, which is the US Congress proposed the HOT CARS (Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats) Act which was passed into law in 2021. The Act requires all new cars sold in the US to feature child presence detection by 2025 — and NOVELDA is hoping its sensor will provide the solution.
Using the company's ultra-wideband (UWB) radar technology, rather than the 60GHz systems of its competitors, the NOVELDA U7 UWB Child Presence Detection (CPD) Sensor can penetrate seats and other objects — meaning a single sensor can cover the entire cabin. The device pulls less than 100µW in detection mode, and can detect children and pets within seconds — triggering an alarm to alert the driver.
The new sensor is currently in what NOVELDA calls the "initial sampling phase," and is due to be shown off at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in January. Evaluation kits will be made available in the first half of 2024, the company has confirmed, though it has not yet offered pricing for the part.
More information on NOVELDA's UWB radar technology is available on the company's official website.
