Toronto, Ontario — Tesla is seeking approval for a new sensor that will prevent children from becoming trapped in hot cars by implementing a new vehicle sensor that could also be used for theft-prevention, Reuters reported.
The automaker has requested the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approve the use of unlicensed millimeter-wave sensors which would operate at higher power levels than existing rules allow.
The short-range motion-sensing interactive devices would use four transmit and three receive antennas, along with radar that would provide a number of benefits over camera-based or existing occupant detection systems.
Tesla says the radar in the sensor provides depth perception and can see through soft materials, such as a blanket covering a child. To help prevent false alarms, the automaker says it can differentiate between a child and an object, as well as detect breathing rates and heart patterns.
In Canada, an average of one child per year dies after being left in a hot car, with most incidents occurring between the months of May to September, according to a study by the Hospital for Sick Children. In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says more than 50 children died when left behind in hot cars in both 2019 and 2018.
