okay so after obsessing about new rims I had this idea: is there a sensor that could be placed, say, inside the wheel well which could detect via a series of beeps when the rims are getting too close to the curb?

This could be activated by the driver when parking.

With all these fancy rims it may be a could way to way to protect the investment.

 

Or just learn how to park....lol. Just had to say it..

 

yeah yeah i know i know but sometimes a brain-lapse and ouch.

 

perhaps a few decades too late..

 

+1

 

eclou: they make those for Porsche traveling at 150+mph? how bout some infra-red ones... and remember those bumpers that actually bumped back instead of crumpling and denting at the slightest provocation?

 

or when you are about to park. get some foam with inflater cut to the exact wheel diameter and place them on, so when you hit the curb, you can just hear is squeezing sound (like those fart cushions)

 

SRatha: I'm a lazy man. I want some kind of auto aural notification w/out getting out of the car if I'm getting too close. Think rear back up sensors but for the tires.

 

yeah i know what you mean...
my brother's old bmw 7 had this monitor mounted on the side skirts, and it detects objects around it and displays it on the nav screen. that could probably be a more feasible solution, with the mounted wheel sensors, it may fly off, or more easily damaged as it must be mounted on the outer of the wheel. (rocks debris)

 

Honestly, I would pay for this device. I hit the curb yesterday big time because there was a big a$$ truck making a turn that was toooo close to my car!...some people just do not know how to drive. The curb rash was so bad that it took a piece of tire with it.

When do you launch this product to the market??

 

LET'S LAUNCH THIS. I'm SERIOUS. I think it's a...well.....it's pretty brilliant if you ask me. Especially for dem fancy a$$ rimz....

 

@SRatha: you mount them INSIDE the wheel well ANGLED OUT -- the sensor is tucked in and fairly protected and can be manufactured out of durable plastic.

 

Curb Feelers!! CLASSIC!

Okay back on Topic as a consumer here are my questions:

Angled out from the wheel well means how do you mount them and keep them safe from the elements? Would you drill into the rim to mount? Since it would be a sensor kinda like a backup sensor, etc how would you adjust for distance according to low level curbs or walls or cars? Will it have the ability to be shut off since when you do park next to a curb when you start up the car it will go off until you get away from the curb. Would it be within a few inches before it would give the BIG beep saying to back way or would that need to be adjustable?

Also the sensor would need to be free of dirt, road grime which it would be subject to pretty often as well as submersion in some cases and snow and many others.

Just posing a few questions a consumer might have

 

why not just have them on the side skirts? instead of the wheels? didn't BMW come up wit it in the 7 series already?

 

SRatha: yes that makes sense. You can even have them on the mirrors. In fact, I believe when you park in the 7 series the mirrors can tilt down to better help you see the curb.....