Sensata Technologies has announced that recently-acquired SmartWitness is bringing modular flexibility to video telematics with its new KP2 dashcam. The SmartWitness KP2 is a 4G/LTE camera that records HD video at up to 30 FPS per channel with a 140-degree forward-facing and 130-degree driver-facing field of vision, contains a 64GB SD card upgradable to 128 GB storage and measures just 126mm x 82mm x 64mm including the driver-facing camera.
This product enables commercial fleets to add driver-facing video at any time with no wiring changes, no added installation cost and no downtime.
Available immediately through telematics service providers, the KP2 includes a choice of real-time ADAS (automatic driver assistance system) and DSM (driver state monitoring) features for accident prevention, plus cloud-based AI event analysis software that eliminates hours of time spent on reviewing false alerts of risky driving behavior.
Design
The KP2’s modular design provides an upgrade path for fleets that want front-view video documentation in the event of an accident but are not yet ready to record driver behavior inside the cab. The camera can be purchased as a road-facing solution with or without driver-facing functionality. Later if needed, the 1-in. x 1-in. snap-on driver-facing module can be added in seconds, eliminating the time and expense of adding a separate camera or replacing the entire system.
Installation
The KP2 can be installed in as little as 15 minutes by either a fleet technician or a professional installer, saving hours of deployment and associated costs. The base unit attaches to a windshield-mounted bracket, uses a mobile app and auto-calibration for setup and configuration, as well as connects to the vehicle’s OBDII port. (A version with a J-1939 connection for heavy-duty trucks will be released later this year.) The driver-facing module can be added via plug-and-play. If repair or replacement is required, the entire device detaches from the bracket with no need to remove wiring from the initial installation or rewire the new or repaired unit.
Safety and Alerts
The KP2 offers a choice of real-time ADAS collision avoidance and DSM in-cab behavior detection features to help avert accidents. ADAS options include real-time tailgating, forward collision, solid lane departure and pedestrian presence alerts, while DSM capabilities available with the driver-facing camera include fatigue, distraction and phone use. Real-time alert notifications are delivered in a choice of natural voices, audio beeps or chimes.
Every KP2 deployment includes SmartWitness’ cloud-based Artificial Intelligence Driving Events (AIDE) software, which reduces erroneous reports of poor driving behavior by applying telematics data and contextual factors to refine results. Decreasing false positives limits the number of events requiring manual review by fleet managers and also reduces conflict with drivers unfairly flagged for safety violations.
“Until now, fleets deploying video telematics have had to choose between road-facing and road-and-driver-facing cameras. There was no way to add driver-facing functionality to a road-facing unit,” said Michael Bloom, vice president of product and marketing at Sensata Technologies, SmartWitness.
“Our new KP2 is the first camera that gives fleets the flexibility to implement the technology in stages, ensuring they will not lose their initial investment if they decide to add the extra protection of driver-facing video at a later date.”
