Parking sensors

Keywords

How do parking sensors work on cars?

Parking sensors are designed to alert the driver of obstacles when parking. Most of these systems use ultrasonic sensors that emit sound waves, with a controller in the car measuring how long each signal takes to bounce back off an object. This helps it to calculate how far away the object is. It then sounds an alert, which increases in pitch the nearer that the car is to the nearby object.

Systems often also include a diagram on the car's infotainment screen, showing the distance to nearby objects as coloured blocks.

Related Jargon

How do parking assistance systems work in a car?

Parking assist systems use cameras and sensors to help a driver park a car safely.

What does the infotainment system in a car do?

An infotainment system controls a car’s information and entertainment functions, usually through a screen mounted on the dashboard or in the centre console.

How do parking sensors work on cars?

Parking sensors are designed to alert the driver of obstacles when parking, sounding an alarm if the car is too close to a nearby object.

How does satellite navigation work in a car?

A car’s satellite navigation system, or sat nav, uses the information from GPS satellites to work out its latitude, longitude, altitude and movement.

What is Android Auto?

Android Auto is a way of linking your smartphone to a car and are designed to help improve safety and convenience.

What is Mirrorlink in cars?

MirrorLink allows drivers to sync their smartphones with their car’s infotainment system so they can safely access many of the smartphone’s features while driving.

How does a rear parking camera work?

A rear parking camera is a wide-angle lens fitted to the rear of the car, which transmits a live image of the area directly behind the car when reverse gear is selected.

What is GPS and how does it work?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a network of satellites that sends information about time and location to a vehicle’s navigation system.

What is a car's centre console?

The centre console is the area in the middle of the dashboard that contains the buttons and switches for operating most of the car’s functions.

How does Apple CarPlay work?

Apple CarPlay allows iPhone owners to connect their phone to a car and show an iOS screen on the infotainment system display.