Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machinery Systems, a member of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group, has developed Mikke, a system that helps prevent children from being left behind on buses used to transport children to and from nursery schools, certified childcare centers, and kindergartens.
Mikke has two models: the “check when exiting” type, which is an anti-leaving support device, and the “combined” type (double-checking system using both the check when exiting and automatic detection systems), which is a leaving detection system.
In the “check when exiting” system, an audible announcement is made after the engine is stopped to encourage the driver to visually check the interior of the vehicle. The driver presses a button to stop the announcement to complete the inspection, but if the button is not pressed, an announcement is played outside the vehicle urging the driver to check the vehicle interior. An optional function can also be used to send a message to a smart phone to prompt the driver to check the interior.
In addition to the driver’s visual confirmation by the “check when exiting” system, the combined system automatically detects the interior of the vehicle using radio waves from a radar sensor. Conventional automatic detection systems are mainly based on camera detection, which has the problem of being difficult to see under certain circumstances. The system also detects minute movements of children hidden behind seats, blankets, and other objects. In the unlikely event that a child is left unattended due to a missed exit check, an audible alarm will alert the driver that there is a person in the car. Please check the vehicle” to alert people outside the vehicle of the presence of a child left behind.
The product is eligible for subsidies for safety equipment that conforms to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s “Guidelines for Safety Equipment to Support the Prevention of Buses Being Left Behind for Pickups and Drop-offs.
© Source travel watch