I once lost two cats because they were rolled over by my father's car while reversing. Pets like to rest until they fall asleep under the car because it provides protection during hot weather and heat on cold nights. To prevent incidents of cats getting flattened by being rolled over by cars, BYD has patented a system to detect life under the car.
The patent was filed this month and the car will take a picture of the bottom before it is turned off. When the car is turned back on, another picture is taken. The vehicle system then differentiates the before and after pictures. If it detects a difference, a notification will be given to the driver to check the bottom of the car.
In addition to detecting the presence of life under the car, the camera system is also designed to detect any structural damage or to the battery pack. At this time, the living object detection system cum pet detection under the vehicle is still just a patent with no plans to offer it on real vehicles.
