A Goleta-based company’s infra-red system, which specializes in spotting animals in the dark, soon will be featured in some of the world’s most popular luxury cars.
Autoliv has been making auto safety devices for some 60 years, including seatbelts and airbags. The $8.3 billion company employs 41 workers in Goleta where the camera for the new system is manufactured in a Fairview Avenue facility. Worldwide, Autoliv employs some 51,000 workers.
The system, which borrows the infra-red device made by another South Coast firm, FLIR, includes a grill-mounted camera in some Audis, Mercedes and BMWs.
Years of research have gone into the new system, which detects the movements of particular animals such as deer. Car collisions with deer cost an annual $3.5 billion, said Autoliv Managing Director Stuart Klapper.
He said since 2007 research has been conducted on safaris and deer farms to develop the system, which includes a moving spot light that tracks animal movements. A strobe light also is incorporated in the system because deer with stop in their tracks is a beam is shone directly at them, Klapper said.
The system adds up to $2,000 to the cost of the luxury cars that come equipped with them, Autoliv officials said. However, they said, less expensive cars such as Hondas may carry them in the future, which would lower the cost of installing the systems at the factory.
Deputy District Attorney to Discuss Financial Elder Abuse
“Grandpa Has Dementia and is Still Trading on Stocks” is the title of a free presentation on dementia with Santa Barbara County Senior Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson from 2 to 4 p.m. May 22 at the Alzheimer’s Association of the Central Coast office, 1528 Chapala St.
Among the topics discussed will be: intervention and prevention strategies; what to do to prevent a senior from becoming a victim; and how to control the damage if they are being scammed.
The presentation is for adult children of seniors who are concerned that their parents or other loved ones may be losing the capacity to properly manage their finances and are becoming vulnerable to financial scams.
Johnson will discuss the scope of the problem, the risk factors for becoming a victim of financial abuse, the health consequences of being victimized and the warning signs that a senior is becoming vulnerable.
RSVP to Luciana Cramer by calling (805) 892-4259.
