Autonomous Sun Visor

Votes: 1
Views: 1288

The sun visor in all of our vehicles was initially invented in 1931. No major design changes or improvements in over 90 years! According to NHTSA sun glare causes approximately 9,000 crashes a year.

Problem:
Current sun visors are a manual system unsuitable for safety, cumbersome to use, and don't cover all areas of the windshield or side windows. It isn't practical for all front seat occupants varying heights and sitting positions and it forces the user to move in dangerous ways while driving and adjusting the visor.

Novelty and Benefits:
The Autonomous Sun Visor effectively protects the front vehicle occupants' field of vision from sun and glare. The system automatically adjusts positions for optimal protection and sight, either from the front or side windows no matter their height or sitting postion. The system detects the sun's position from the vehicle's compass, time of day, the vehicle's latitude, cameras, GPS, or sun position sensors that are on most vehicles today. The occupant's facial position will be sensed by the in-camera sensors that are now being integrated into all vehicles.

Market Potential:
The system can be used for passenger vehicles (autonomous or human-controlled), semis, heavy-duty off-road equipment, airplanes, and all the other areas where protection from the sun for visibility is required. The system integrates easily into any vehicle with a simple and low-cost design. It is lightweight, compact, and can use the vehicle's electrical power supply. There are no other systems that are on the market at this time that compete.

Manufacturing Process:
The system uses standard known manufacturing processes like injection molding, extrusion, and stamping. It uses conventional electrical actuators and electronics to adjust the position of the visor. The system was developed by a highly experienced automotive engineer with over 25 years in the industry.

The system is patented and ready for licensing. Initial prototype test samples are being developed.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Jason Durfee
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Software used for this entry:
    Python