Reverse Alert: Aussie smart braking technology

A GOOD example of an Australian design-build innovation poised to take on the world is Auto Innovations Group’s smart automatic braking system for reversing vehicles, Reverse Alert.

Originally developed to help prevent deaths and injuries to children from reversing vehicles – a tragic but familiar accident in Australia that has attracted several affected families to invest in this venture – Reverse Alert has also generated enthusiasm in commercial trials of the device.

Testing with a division of Toll, for example, has shown Reverse Alert to be not just a safety device but also a money saver, preventing vehicles from damage in backing in to loading docks, pylons and low beams.

The impending initial public offering (IPO) of the Reverse Alert’s developer, Auto Innovations Group, on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is designed to trigger up manufacturing volumes of the product and drive expansion to international markets, particularly the US, where a patent is held.

The Reverse Alert device was a highlight at the Civil Contractors Federation Conference in Adelaide last year, where it was demonstrated on a vehicle and tested first-hand by the Workzone Traffic Control group. 

Reverse Alert is based on a unique radar sensor system which can be fitted to any vehicle. When an object is detected, the system immediately applies the vehicle’s own braking system through an actuator that is retro-fitted to the brake pedal.

Reverse Alert Australia general manager Anthony Hoiberg said what makes the technology unique is that the system can be fitted to any vehicle, new or old, and does not conflict with Australian Design Rules.

“The system has been designed to automatically apply the brake when the rear sensors detect an object or person,” Mr Hoiberg said.

“This is achieved through the use of a clamp that is attached to the brake pedal. The clamp pulls the brake, stopping the vehicle automatically without driver input when the rear sensors detect an object at specific distances.”

Several fleet operators, including a large supermarket transport group, have trialled the system and are considering it for both workplace health and safety and economic reasons, Mr Hoiberg said. 

Every time Reverse Alert has been trialled in a new industrial environment, Mr Hoiberg said, new benefits have been identified, including for agricultural machinery, forklifts, aviation transport transport systems and heavy vehicles in the resources sector.

www.reversealertaustralia.com.au

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