Even if you're a seasoned driver who's constantly checking your mirrors, looking over your shoulder, and keeping your eyes peeled for unanticipated road risks, there's still no guarantee you'll be able to see everything that's going on outside of your car.
Blind spots are exactly what they sound like, and they seriously limit our vision when it comes to driving.
But that's just not realistic.
However, one middle school student has come up with a pretty remarkable way to reduce blind spots and create a much safer driving experience for all.
According to Mashable, the teen took part in the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) competition where she submitted her project called "Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots."
On the right side of any given vehicle, the interior frame separating the windshield and the passenger-side window creates a blind spot that drivers can't see past.
For Gassler, the wheels started turning in her head when she saw her mom's own struggles with blind spots in the family car.
She then displayed live video from that camera through a projector installed on the sunroof above the driver's seat.
This means that drivers can now virtually see "through" that blind spot, thanks to the camera fitted to the outside of the car.
Glasser told Mashable she had to resurface that interior frame with retro reflective fabric in order for it to actually become a screen she could project footage onto.
As Glasser explained, "Since the driver's eyes are next to the projector, the driver can see a crisp, clear image, and the passengers only see a black piece of fabric."
Thankfully, the new prototype fixes that completely.
Such means of detection usually include a light, noise, or even vibration to warn drivers when a vehicle, person, or object is in their blind spot.
By that, I mean they will automatically swerve out of the way to avoid these threats.
"Congratulations to Alaina, whose project has the potential to decrease the number of automobile accidents by reducing blind spots," Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News said.
"It is her total contribution to the Broadcom MASTERS in addition to her impressive work on her science fair project as a talented young engineer seeking to improve automobile safety that earned her this prestigious award."
h/t: Mashable, Cision PR Newswire
