All our cars have rear-view cameras that help with parking, but sometimes you still need a bit more information than the camera can give you. Two of our cars also have built-in proximity sensors that warn you when you’re getting too close to an obstacle with either the front or rear bumpers, but our daughter’s car doesn’t. The Bump Avoiding Parking Sensor would be the perfect add-on to her car.
The sensor fits over your existing tag surround and pairs wirelessly via Bluetooth to your Android or Apple phone running a free app. The phone app will alert the driver with visual, audible, and vibrating alarms when the car is getting too close to an obstacle. The sensor has an 18″ to 10′ range, and it has an anti-theft alarm. It is powered by two AA batteries (included). You’ll also receive a car mount for your phone and all installation hardware.
The Bump Avoiding Parking Sensor is $149.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer.
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Thanks for the reminder – I got this (or something similar) from a Kickstarter project and promptly forgot it’s sitting under a chair!
But will it know that the pickup truck you’re backing up to has a trailer hitch ball projecting an extra 6 inches?
Interesting gadget although if it’s from HamSchlem it’s at least 2x the price it should be.
Another interesting bit of info is that folks with backup cameras should realize that most cameras are closer to the driver than the bumper so if you’re watching your camera to see if you’re going to bump into a car behind you you’re doing it wrong. Backup cameras are primarily a safety device so you don’t run over people (which is a very bad thing).