Vantrue Pilot 2 Thermal Smart 4-Channel Dashcam
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Julian23
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The P2 can now be backed on Kickstarter:
Here is the official forum post from Vantrue: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...-ch-thermal-dash-cam-with-ai-detection.61096/
Here is the official forum post from Vantrue: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...-ch-thermal-dash-cam-with-ai-detection.61096/
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Julian23
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I have been driving a car with a built-in thermal night vision system for the past two months, and it really shows the value that a thermal cam like the Pilot 2 could add. Especially to older cars without bright adaptive headlights.
From my experience, the safety benefits are just massive. The car's system actively highlights pedestrians and animals at around 100 to 150 meters, but you can actually spot the raw thermal signatures much earlier. Depending on the object size, they show up from 200 to 500 meters away, which gives me plenty of time to slow down. Driving through dark forests is way more relaxed now. I immediately see if something is glowing near the road, and just as importantly, an empty screen means I can drive without the constant fear of an animal jumping out.
It is also incredibly helpful in bad weather. The thermal camera completely ignores the blinding glare from oncoming headlights in the rain. It even cuts right through fog, where normal headlights just reflect a white wall back at you. Given these huge advantages, my expectations for the Pilot 2 are high. If Vantrue is able to deliver a similar performance with the P2, it will be a brilliant upgrade for anyone who frequently drives at night.
From my experience, the safety benefits are just massive. The car's system actively highlights pedestrians and animals at around 100 to 150 meters, but you can actually spot the raw thermal signatures much earlier. Depending on the object size, they show up from 200 to 500 meters away, which gives me plenty of time to slow down. Driving through dark forests is way more relaxed now. I immediately see if something is glowing near the road, and just as importantly, an empty screen means I can drive without the constant fear of an animal jumping out.
It is also incredibly helpful in bad weather. The thermal camera completely ignores the blinding glare from oncoming headlights in the rain. It even cuts right through fog, where normal headlights just reflect a white wall back at you. Given these huge advantages, my expectations for the Pilot 2 are high. If Vantrue is able to deliver a similar performance with the P2, it will be a brilliant upgrade for anyone who frequently drives at night.
TonyM
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Where is your display mounted? Does looking at the display distract you from looking ahead, or is it a bit like glancing at the rear view mirror?
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Julian23
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The image is shown right in front of me in the digital cluster of my car.
I don't think that it's distracting since it's just where my speed is shown.
Briefly look at the image and then the road again.