Automatic braking is a godsend for modern vehicles, but what happens when cameras and sensors become obscured?

A study published by NIOSH reported that the chaos, mud, and dirt of construction sites can overwhelm cameras and sensors.
https://www.osha.gov/vtools/construction

Accidents at construction sites, especially from reversing, take a horrific toll each year.

That's where Automatic Braking On Interference (AutoBOI) comes into play. The system is comprised of physical barriers (“buffers”), with an integral shutoff switch--the buffer innovation will actuate a contact switch and apply the brakes when it backs against a person, object, or another vehicle.

The same method employed to stop a vehicle in an emergency can be used to stop for routine activities, such as parking against a loading dock for unloading freight.

One massive advantage that AutoBOI can bring is fabrication costs. The buffers, which are semi-disposable, are made from post-consumer tire treads.

I came up with this a few years ago when I had a new (to me) truck. I had to pick up some material at the lumber yard and I backed squarely into a low stack of 8x8s in my “blind spot”…so I tell myself.

“I wish I had something in the cab that could alert me.”

A few years later, I drove a car that had a backup camera. I loved it until I realized what inevitably sticks to any vehicle that enters a construction site: mud and dust. Cleaning the cameras presented a whole different set of issues. The view was reduced to an opaque gray blur because of scratches.

I received a grant to file a patent for my invention. Just this week, we responded to the USPTO’s comments, and it's pending the final stages of approval. Several years ago, it was shortlisted for an auto expo in the Southeast region but it wasn’t selected to exhibit at the show.