VUB Research Saves Lives on the Road with Innovative Blind Spot Sensors

The number of fatal accidents involving vulnerable road users in Flanders increased by 10% in 2023 compared to the previous year. With a total of 136 victims, this is the highest figure ever recorded. A significant cause is the rising number of blind spot accidents involving trucks. Safer vehicles are essential to reversing this alarming trend. To address this issue, eXia, a spin-off of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and imec, developed the Active Sideguard blind spot sensors for trucks. This is the world’s first warning system to use low-frequency electric fields.

02/05/2024

The Active Sideguard blind spot sensors are the result of more than 15 years of research conducted at the VUB.

“The groundbreaking technology behind these sensors uses extremely weak low-frequency electric fields to detect vulnerable road users—such as cyclists, scooter riders, and pedestrians—who are in a truck’s blind spot,” explains Bart Truyen, VUB researcher and Managing Director of eXia. “Unlike existing radar sensors, the Active Sideguard sensors stand out with an advanced spatial detection process that extends to road level, ensuring flawless detection of all vulnerable road users."

“Moreover, during our research, we found that the performance of most common blind spot sensors is heavily influenced by external factors,” Truyen continues. “In adverse weather conditions, such as rain or snow, vulnerable road users are often detected less reliably, while truck drivers are burdened with false alarms. These sensors are also less suited for rougher transport applications. In contrast, Active Sideguard blind spot sensors are both weather-resistant and robust, ensuring reliable operation in all conditions and on all truck vehicles, thereby helping to guarantee the safety of vulnerable road users. With our research, we are literally saving lives.”

This research was co-funded by the Flemish government, with a total support of €420,000.

“This new generation of blind spot sensors aligns closely with the updated European GSR (General Safety Regulations), which acknowledge and address the blind spot issue,” concludes the Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works. “Freight and other professional transport vehicles are often involved in fatal road accidents. In addition to significant efforts in safe road infrastructure and awareness campaigns, attention must also be given to safer vehicles and ongoing training to help drivers use these vehicles and their new technology responsibly. I believe it’s essential to invest in research to protect all road users, especially the most vulnerable. Initiatives like Active Sideguard are therefore crucial and illustrate the power of collaboration between academic institutions, industry, and government.”

More information about Active Sideguard can be found on the eXia website.