--- title: "Tesla Asks USA For Permission to Automatically Detect Kids Left in Hot Car" description: "Tesla is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to market a sensor that can tell if a child is being left behind in a hot car, Reuters reports." date: "2020-08-21" modified: "2020-08-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-fcc-detect-kids-hot-car" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "fcc" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Asks USA For Permission to Automatically Detect Kids Left in Hot Car ![Tesla is seeking approval from the FCC to market a sensor that can tell if a child is being left behind in a hot car, Reuters reports.]() *\Image: Tesla\* ## No Child Left Behind Tesla is seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to market a sensor that could tell if a child has been left in a hot car, [*Reuters* reports](). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, [52 children]() died of heatstroke in cars alone in 2019. To stop that from happening, the Elon Musk-led company wants to use millimeter wave sensors at power levels that aren't allowed under current laws. ## Scanning... Scanning... According to [filings]() obtained by *Reuters*, Tesla's device would use seven of these sensors. Such a radar-based system "provides depth perception and can 'see' through soft materials, such as a blanket covering a child in a child restraint." It would also be able to tell if it's just an object as opposed to a child by detecting "micromovements like breathing patterns and heart rates, neither of which can be captured by cameras or in-seat sensors alone." ## Safety First The same system could also be used to improve current seatbelt detection technology and even "optimize airbag deployment in a crash — more effectively than existing weight based, in-seat sensor systems," according to the filing. Existing Tesla features, such as the [Dog Mode]() that keeps the AC on for any dogs left behind in a car, also make use of interior and exterior sensors. As [*The Verge* reports](), Nissan previously attempted to address the issue of children left behind in hot cars by including sensors in its 2018 Pathfinder SUV. **READ MORE:** [Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on Tesla:** *[Tesla Designer Reinvents the Chocolate Chip]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()