SmartWitness, a UK-based manufacturer of vehicle safety systems, has unveiled the latest in its line of traffic incident cameras, the KP1. The system was showcased at last month's Commercial Vehicle Show 2014 in Birmingham, UK and is capable of compressing and transmitting video footage over 3G or 4G within 60 seconds of an incident occurring.
The KP1 system features a built-in forward facing camera that is mounted on the windscreen using an adhesive pad, and a second camera that can be positioned to monitor interior, rear or side views. It uses a built-in 10 Hz GPS module and integration with Google Maps, Google Street View and Google Earth to record a 170-degree view of the road along with data such as vehicle location, speed, acceleration, braking and steering.
The system sports a third-generation Bosch G Sensor and if it detects an incident, will capture a 10-second clip of the event and then compress the video to 150 KB. The small file size enables the data to be sent in an email over 3G or 4G to any authorized recipient, such as an employer or insurance company within one minute of the incident occurring. According to the company, this will allow insurance claims to be filed in record time.
The KP1 is made from polycarbonate and is housed in a lockable tamper-resistant cover. It is installed either by being hard-wired to the vehicle's battery or plugged into the cigarette lighter plug. In addition to 3G and 4G connectivity, the system is also Wi-Fi, WiMAX and Bluetooth capable.
Pricing for the KP1 ranges from £300 (US$504) for the 4 GB version, to £380 ($638) for the 64 GB model.
Source: SmartWitness