BYD has revealed a patent for a system that can detect people or animals beneath a parked vehicle, according to Chinese technology publication ITHome.
The proposed technology creates a reference image of the vehicle’s underbody and later compares it with real-time images.
When differences are detected, the system analyses the affected area to determine whether a living being is present.
The June 13 ITHome report cited BYD saying the approach is intended to improve the effectiveness of underbody safety checks.
The patent is part of the company’s broader efforts in life-detection technologies, including systems designed to identify occupants who may have been left inside a vehicle.
A separate patent disclosure published the same day described an in-cabin detection system that uses radar-based data to determine whether passengers remain in the vehicle.
