Brigade product addresses truck backup dangers

The Backeye360 on-board camera system has been designed by United Kingdom-based Brigade Electronics to provide truck drivers with a complete 360-degree view from their vehicle in a single image.

According to Brigade, the system combines images from ultra-wide-angle cameras, resulting in a bird’s eye view of the vehicle and surrounding areas and eliminating blind spots.

Radar systems, such as Brigade’s Backsense radar sensor system (BS-8000), also are designed to help eliminate blind spots. Backsense works by emitting a continuous-wave radar that is faster than pulsed-radar products, according to Brigade.

Continuous-wave radar protects against false alerts, , which can lead to frustration for the driver, resulting in genuine alerts being disregarded, according to the firm. When a moving or stationary object is detected, the driver is given an in-cab visual display plus an audible warning. Unlike cameras, says Brigade, radar systems will continue to function at optimum levels even in harsh conditions, such as rain, fog and snow.

Another innovation claimed by Brigade is a truck reverse gear alarm system that assists workers operating in a busy environment, including those who may be wearing ear defenders. Brigade’s back-up alarms harness high-spec broadband sound frequency, emitting a wide range of white sound frequencies. These enable workers to locate the direction of the sound instantly, says the company.

Rather than emitting a beeping noise, Brigade’s bbs-tek White Sound back-up alarms create a “ssh-ssh” sound that dissipates quickly. This means the alarm can only be heard in the danger zone, so there is a better chance of alarm-weary workers paying attention, says the company. The broadband frequency also gives workers wearing ear protection devices a better chance of hearing the alarm, according to Brigade.

According to Brigade, each day in the United States, on average, two construction workers die of work-related injuries. Struck-by incidents involving heavy equipment are a significant cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the sector, and the incidents frequently involve vehicles or earthmoving equipment and their drivers’ blind spots.

Brigade Electronics was founded in 1976 by Chris Hanson-Abbott, who the company says introduced the first reversing alarm to Europe. Brigade’s product portfolio includes the Backeye 360º camera monitor systems, bbs-tek white sound reversing alarms, ultrasonic obstacle detection, radar obstacle detection and mobile digital recorders.