Toyota’s Innovative Sensors Can Detect Children Forgotten In Hot Cars

It’s been a long-contested debate in the automotive world, Toyota vs Honda, which is the best automaker. While both brands have developed a solid fan base, one may start seeing the scales tip in their favor. Toyota is developing sensors that will detect children forgotten in hot cars, and this new innovation is serving to be a game changer, especially with families of young children and pets.

Toyota Unveils Cabin Awareness Technology

Toyota’s innovative tech is called Cabin Awareness and was developed by Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) While there is somewhat similar tech already in existence that helps detect whether children or pets are left behind in a vehicle, Toyota’s Cabin Awareness seeks to improve on this potentially life-saving technology.

Cabin Awareness uses a high-resolution 4D imaging radar that utilizes millimeter waves. The system is mounted within a vehicle’s headliner and gives a bird’s eye view of who is in the vehicle. With the use of this radar imaging technology, Cabin Awareness can detect when there are micro-movements in the vehicle. These movements can include heartbeat, a child or pet breathing, and other movements. These micro-movements can be detected throughout the entire vehicle including the cargo area and the footwells. They can even be picked up if a child or pet is under a blanket.

If micro-movements are detected in the vehicle, an alert will be sent to the instrument cluster. If that alert goes unnoticed, the vehicle will honk and flash warning lights. Drivers may also get a warning that comes through by text or a Toyota App. This feature definitely tips the balance in the Toyota vs Honda debate!

Cabin Awareness to Revolutionize Vehicle Safety

Being able to sense and pick up on these micro-movements is a game changer in the automotive industry. While similar existing technology relies on weight limits or cameras, both have flaws such as limited camera range and false alerts due to weight discrepancies. Toyota hopes to close the gap of these false alerts through their Cabin Awareness which serves as a virtual eagle eye on all parts of the vehicle.

Cabin Awareness In Its Early Testing

Toyota has partnered with May Mobility and is testing out the sensor technology in their fleet of autonomous Toyota Siennas. The fleet is being tested in Michigan and will continue being tested out in similar vehicles in Texas.

Simon Roberts, managing engineer at TCNA shares that “The key difference with this system is the improved resolution and accuracy, full-cabin detection, and scope of functionality Cabin Awareness provides.” Roberts adds, “With the precision of these sensors, we’re designing Cabin Awareness with the aim of reducing false positives and false negatives.”

The innovative tech is the result of the car maker’s 2019 Toyota Connected Hackathon. The competitive 36-hour tech fest requires software developers to build innovative tech-driven solutions to answer real-world problems. After winning the hackathon, the idea was picked up by Toyota and turned into the life-saving feature being tested out today.