Continental's Digital Access Technology Expanded by Life-Saving Feature for Child-Presence Detection

If children are left behind inside the vehicle, the CPD function immediately identifies danger and triggers an alarm.

Continental has expanded its digital access system CoSmA by a Child-Presence-Detection function (CPD) for even more passenger safety. In case of left-behind children in the car, every minute counts. Given outdoor temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius, vehicles reach for children live-threatening temperatures of 46 degrees within just half an hour, as emphasized by research of the University of Georgia. As a consequence, nearly 40 children in the US die from heatstrokes in the car annually, according to the National Security Council. Continental's Child Presence Detection function uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to prevent such tragedies in the future. It detects a child in the cabin and sends out a warning within seconds. The CPD function also addresses vehicle manufacturer's needs to meet in-cabin safety targets in view of the upcoming Euro NCAP safety rating and US regulations, which are driving for new child safety requirements in the vehicle by 2025.