Forming an Opportunity/ 4A

There should be some kind of sensor or camera to help drivers measure the distance from parking curbs to the front bumper of their vehicle.

People who drive small or lowered cars have trouble seeing the distance of a parking curb. This is a simple problem that can cause big damage to the front end of a car. In most cases when a driver hits a parking curb, the bumper is forced on top of the curb and the driver immediately throws the car into reverse and badly dents the front bumper or rips it off completely. People use all kinds of guessing methods to park without hitting the curb but none are guaranteed.

I asked several people, “Has it ever bothered you not being able to see how far you are from a parking curb?” and I noticed a trend with the people who answered “No” which was that they drove larger vehicles like trucks or SUV’s. The people who answered “Yes” were drivers of small or lowered cars. Such as Trevor who drives a Mustang, Darlene who drives a Jaguar, and Summer who drives a Honda Civic.

Trevor

1.       Has it ever bothered you not being able to see how far you are from a parking curb? Yeah, sometimes. My car has a tall hood and it can be tough to see over it.

2.       When does this problem normally bother you? When I pull into tight spots or small parking lots.

3.       What methods are you using to park not being able to see the parking curb? I get out of my car and I just look. If I am not close enough I will get back in and pull up further.

4.       How is that working? I don’t like getting in and out of the car. It’s a pain in the butt and I probably look like I don’t know how to park correctly to other people watching.

5.       Do you think some kind of camera or sensor could make parking easier? Yeah sure. That would pretty cool.

            Darlene

1.       Has it ever bothered you not being able to see how far you are from a parking curb? Yes I can’t stand not knowing how far I am because I am always worried about hitting the front of my pretty little car. Sometimes I over shoot it and when I get out I see that it is not parked straight or I am way too far from the curb.

2.       When does this problem normally bother you? Pretty much all the time especially when there is a parking curb.

3.       What methods are you using to park not being able to see the parking curb? No method really. I just try to judge the best I can and underestimate how far I am to make sure I don’t hit the curb. Sometimes if it’s still too far I will get back in and move it up.

4.       How is that working? Well I try my best! It works fine I guess. Kind of the only method there is so I’m stuck parking that way.

5.       Do you think some kind of camera or sensor could make parking easier? Yeah. That would help a lot. Maybe they will start putting something like that on newer cars.

           Summer

1.       Has it ever bothered you not being able to see how far you are from a parking curb? Yeah because I always think I am not pulled in far enough.

2.       When does this problem normally bother you? When I drive my boyfriend’s car because it’s really low and I am always super nervous I will hit the curb and mess up his car.

3.       What methods are you using to park not being able to see the parking curb? I look at the reflection in the car next to me too see how far I am and kind of inch my way forward.

4.       How is that working? It works okay. I still have my bumper! Obviously I’m not able to look into a reflection if there is no car next to me though so I’m stuck guessing.

5.       Do you think some kind of camera or sensor could make parking easier? Well I’m kind of a bad parker in general so probably not. But that would be pretty cool though.

Reflection: I was surprised when I learned what types of people had this problem. My assumption was that drivers of all kinds of vehicles would have the same concern for the front of their cars. However, I discovered that people who drive larger vehicles don’t really worry about hitting parking curbs. I believe this is because they can roll right over the curb without causing damage to their cars.

Summary: My belief for opportunity of developing a camera or sensor to help drivers park was affirmed when I realized this problem really does exist. However, my perception of the number of people affected decreased when I realized this problem only exists for people who drive small cars. I think there is a big opportunity for tech companies to add a product to vehicles that will help eliminate this problem. Companies have already incorporated sensors and cameras into the rear bumper (back up cameras) so it would be very simple to add the same technology to the front bumper. Car manufactures may have to move around other accessories to make room for the new technology but the heart break of hitting a curb and costs of repairing a damaged bumper far out way the cost of a simple technology change.