The "A-pillars" on both sides of the car's windshield, due to blocking the driver's sight, often become the cause in car accidents. To solve the blind spot problem created by the A-pillar of a car, Road WatchR Inc. in the Startup Terrace Linkou uses display technology to make the scene outside the A-pillar visible to the driver. This technology has received patents in Taiwan, Germany, Japan and China and the claims of the patent cover 11 items.
By using small camera and installing a display inside the A-pillar of a car, Qi-Yuan Wen turned the A-pillar into a "displaying screen". The car driver can use this screen to see the real-time image outside, solving the blind spot problem. This design has a special patent and will not be affected even in bad weather such as snowing and thunderstorm. The technology was developed from the standpoint of a professional driver. Its biggest advantage is that the viewing angle of the camera can be set according to the will of the driver. It is easy to operate and has been highly valued by the market.
"I Really Cannot See Her" Claimed by the Driver Triggers the Entrepreneurial Opportunity
You may still remember the tragedy that happened in February 2019, a student from Chinese Culture University in Yangmingshan was killed by a bus. The bus driver claimed "I really cannot see her" when facing the interrogation. This became Qi-Yuan Wen's biggest motivation to start a business. When the news emphasized on the misfortune of the young student’s death, no body thought that the blind spot created by the A-pillar of the bus was the main cause of the accident. After continuous tests in product specifications and circuit design, Qi-Yuan Wen finally found his ideal product. In 2019, he officially launched the first set of products named RWBUS 70 D.
Qi-Yuan Wen explained that in order to support the car structure, there are pillars on both sides of the windshield, between the front and rear doors, and on both sides of the rear windshield, called A-, B-, and C-pillars, respectively. Although these three sets of pillars can provide protection for people in the car, they also create blind spots for the driver. The patented invention developed by Qi-Yuan Wen can directly eliminate the blind spots created by the A-pillar. When the driver is driving the car, the display on the A-pillar can increase the driver’s field of view, making the misfortune caused by "I really cannot see" a history.
A creative invention that directly solved the blind-spot problem gave Qi-Yuan Wen the idea to start a business. Last year, he received subsidy from the Startup Terrace Linkou which began his journey in entrepreneurship. Road WatchR Inc. has launched a series of products including RWBUS 70 D, RWBUS 70 S, and RW sedan. The installation of first set of products was completed in 2020, which is well received. Although the products have not yet entered mass production, many companies from abroad are interested about them, especially in countries where it is likely to snow in winter, such as Japan, South Korea, etc. Through the exchange events held by the Startup Terrace Linkou, many related companies or startups showed their interests for collaboration.
According to statistics from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, there were about 190,000 car accidents in the first half of 2019. Although not all were resulted from the blind spot created by the A-pillar of a car, the car accidents resulted from the blind spots created by the A-pillar are catastrophic. Qi-Yuan Wen believes that there is a big problem with Taiwan's transportation system; professional drivers which are considered high-risk occupations at the bottom of society are not valued in Taiwan. Every time an accident happened; the driver will become the only person to be blamed by the public.
Call on the Government to Relax Subsidies for installations, Making the Blind Spots Created by the A-Pillar a History
Qi-Yuan Wen said that no matter how many angles the dashboard camera has, it is just playing Monday morning quarterback. It only serves to provide the record or images for police investigation, car management company, the paperwork of insurance company and news report. In fact, it has nothing to do in preventing the accident. Qi-Yuan Wen has also been working as a professional driver for large vehicles, and personally experienced the fear while facing blind spots. However, the society seems to care less about the safety of drivers. After all, professional drivers simply want a "solution that can be seen".
The product developed by Qi-Yuan Wen is mainly for professional drivers, i.e., drivers for large trucks and tourist buses. Bus drivers usually carry 30-40 people; therefore, safe driving for these drivers is particularly important. Even though drivers value their safety, it is not always the case for the owner to invest in additional equipment for protecting the drivers. Therefore, Qi-Yuan Wen wrote to the Ministry of Transport and Communication this year for petition and sent the photocopies of the petition to Party Caucuses in the Legislative Yuan, calling on the legislators to relax the subsidy provisions for installing vehicle sight-aiding equipment, hoping to popularize the installation through the help of the national budget.
Every startup has a purpose for entrepreneurship. Some people want to change the world, and some want to lead the market. As for Qi-Yuan Wen, the purpose of entrepreneurship is to make the driving environment in Taiwan safe. He looks forward to the change through the help of the national platform and the attention of the society.
Figure：Qi-Yuan Wen developed the patented RWBUS products based on the standpoint of a professional driver.
Written/Photographed by: Startup Terrace Editorial team