BYD patents an AI system that detects children and pets under the vehicle before starting
BYD has filed a patent with China's National Intellectual Property Administration describing a system based on artificial intelligence and computer vision capable of detecting the presence of people, children, pets or other living beings located beneath a parked vehicle, just before…
By El Carro Colombiano · June 23, 2026.
BYD has filed a patent with China's National Intellectual Property Administration describing a system based on artificial intelligence and computer vision capable of detecting the presence of people, children, pets or other living beings located beneath a parked vehicle, just before it begins to move. The initiative aims to reduce a type of accident that occurs with some frequency in blind spots that are difficult for the driver to monitor, especially in residential areas, parking lots and urban environments with high pedestrian density.
According to the details disclosed in the patent document, the system's technical operation is based on a comparison of sequential images. When the vehicle is switched off and at rest, cameras installed in the lower part of the car capture a reference image of the area beneath the chassis. That image is stored as a base pattern. When the driver is about to start, or when the system performs a safety check, new images are taken that the AI automatically compares with the stored reference to detect any significant change relative to the base pattern.
One of the most relevant aspects of the design is its computational efficiency. The system does not continuously and exhaustively analyze the entire surface beneath the vehicle. Instead, it identifies only the areas where differences are recorded relative to the original image and concentrates processing power there. According to the patent, this approach reduces the consumption of computing resources while, at the same time, improving detection accuracy.
BYD has not specified when or in which production models this technology might be integrated. The company indicates that it is expected to potentially become part, in the future, of its advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and its intelligent driving platform. The patent is part of a broader company strategy to extend the use of artificial intelligence and computer vision beyond already known applications, such as assisted driving or battery management.
As sector context, accidents involving people being run over in blind spots around parked vehicles represent a documented risk, especially when it comes to small children or animals that may remain under a car without the driver noticing them. Rear-view cameras and proximity sensors have mitigated part of this problem at the rear of the vehicle, but the lower chassis area has received comparatively less technological attention until now.
In general, patent filings in the field of preventive vehicle safety are an indicator of the direction manufacturers are taking in integrating AI into passive protection layers—that is, systems that act before the vehicle moves, rather than reacting during driving. This preventive approach is distinct from autonomous emergency braking systems, which operate when the car is already in motion.
The patent announcement does not necessarily imply that the product is ready for mass production or that it has passed validation tests under real-world conditions. Patents describe technical solutions that may take years to materialize in street vehicles, or that may even never reach production if technical, regulatory or commercial barriers arise. However, its official publication does confirm the direction of BYD's research and development in this field.