- Pilot 2 consists of three cameras and a touchscreen display
- Thermal camera works in poor light and bad weather
- Similar technology will soon be available to motorcycle riders
Vantrue chose the bustling halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to showcase its latest – and arguably smartest – dash cam package to date.
Dubbed Pilot 2, this collection of front-facing, rear-facing and thermal imaging cameras provides arguably one of the most all-encompassing fields of view of any aftermarket automotive camera system on sale.
The Sony Starvis-powered windshield camera, which is actually two lenses, captures the action in the cabin at 1080p; this is a boon for the professional drivers who want hard evidence of rowdy passengers.
A secondary front-facing 2K camera unit then captures the action out the front windscreen at 1440p, while a rear window-mounted camera covers events from out back at the same resolution. But what makes this package different is the surprisingly compact thermal camera designed to be mounted on the exterior of the vehicle.
Not much bigger than a matchbox, but IP67 waterproof. The dinky unit can be mounted on the bonnet just below the windscreen or tucked neatly into the front grill. Vantrue offers various methods to get it in the perfect position.
This then sends a live thermal feed to an included 6.25-inch dashboard-mountable touchscreen, acting as a media hub for all the various displays and recordings taking place.
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In low light or bad weather conditions, drivers can rearrange the display to simply show a feed from the thermal camera, which can detect heat signatures from people, wildlife and other road users.
The Thermal Smart Module also uses Vantrue’s detection algorithms to highlight anything it thinks might be a potential hazard out on the road.
Yi Mei, the company’s marketing manager, told me at the Vantrue booth at CES that the system can detect a heat signature from up to 200 feet away.
Using proprietary software, the display will highlight what it determines is a potential hazard, track its movements and then send audible warnings if it senses the driver needs to hit the brakes.
“When you’re driving in fog, at night or in really bad rain, it’s sometimes impossible to see what’s ahead, but a thermal camera will see regardless of the conditions,” explains Yi.
CarPlay and motorcycles
Vantrue’s marketing man says the Pilot 2 bundle will retail for around $600 when it goes on sale later this year, adding that a Kickstarter campaign is underway soon which will see early adopters receive the product for around $450.
While expensive, Vantrue hopes to sweeten the deal with the fact that its 6.25-inch touchscreen also doubles as an aftermarket solution for both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
For anyone driving an older car with a dated or non-existent infotainment setup, this could be a big plus. On top of this, the small display has a built-in speaker, but also houses an additional slot for wiring up an existing sound system.
Vantrue has big plans for its thermal imaging technology, with Yi explaining that a very similar system will soon be available for motorcyclists. The Falcon 2, as it’s called, consists of similar but ultra-compact front and rear 2K resolution cameras specifically designed to be mounted on motorcycle bodywork.
In addition to this, the company is in the final stages of refining its digital cockpit that will be attached to the handlebars, complete with a separate remote control for easy operation with gloves.
It also runs both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so riders can add wireless headphones to enjoy audio on the go and use voice commands to interact with the system.
There’s no price yet for the Falcon 2, but the company says it will arrive some time in the third quarter of this year, along with the announcement that it will also be the first company to offer a wireless tire pressure monitoring system that can be retrofitted to any vehicle, two or four wheels, which will then play well with both the Falcon 2 and Pilot 2 packages.
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