Do Not Let the Door Hit

Modern vehicles are equipped with numerous safety systems focused primarily on active and passive crash protection, but less attention is given to low-speed or stationary scenarios: particularly when occupants exits the vehicle. One common and often underestimated risk occurs when the vehicle door is opened without awareness of nearby obstacles such as walls, poles, or other vehicles. This paper introduces a novel, intelligent solution aimed at enhancing safety during driver egress. The proposed system leverages the existing ORVM (Outside Rear View Mirror) cameras to monitor and measure the surface area adjacent to the vehicle. When the vehicle is parked and the engine is turned off, the system becomes active. As the driver initiates the exit, the system scans for obstructions near the door. If an obstacle is detected within a predefined danger zone, it projects a warning symbol on the Instrument cluster via the puddle lamp and triggers an audible chime to alert the occupant. This dual-mode feedback i.e. visual and auditory ensures that even distracted users receive an effective warning. Unlike traditional dynamic detection systems that may run continuously or require complex conditions to activate, this approach is event-triggered and optimized for specific use cases, reducing unnecessary computation and power usage. A key advantage of this solution is its zero DMC (Direct Material Cost) impact. It uses existing hardware and minimal additional software, making it easy to implement within current vehicle architectures. The system aligns with modern trends in software-defined vehicles by enhancing functionality without increasing component count. By addressing a subtle yet frequent real world problem, this solution adds meaningful value to the user experience, improving safety and confidence during vehicle egress with minimal implementation overhead.