Kia and Hyundai Unveil ‘Vision Pulse’ to eliminate road blind spots

Kia and Hyundai have developed a driver safety technology called ‘Vision Pulse’ that can detect obstacles even when they are completely hidden from a driver’s line of sight.

This system is designed to significantly reduce the likelihood of urban collisions by providing a “sight beyond seeing”.

The technology works by leveraging ultra-wide band (UWB) signals emitted from modules installed in the vehicle. These signals “ping” nearby UWB-enabled devices, such as smartphones, wearables, or specialized trackers carried by pedestrians and cyclists.

By measuring the precise travel time of these radio waves, Vision Pulse can calculate an object’s exact position with an accuracy of up to 10cm within a 100m radius.

A major advantage of Vision Pulse is its reliability in challenging environments where traditional sensors often fail. Unlike cameras or LiDAR, UWB signals have exceptional diffraction and penetration capabilities, allowing the system to maintain over 99% detection accuracy in visually obstructed areas, adverse weather, or total darkness.

Kia and Hyundai have also applied predictive algorithms to track multiple objects moving at high speeds around the vehicle.

To showcase its life-saving potential, the manufacturers recently released a campaign video titled ‘Sight beyond seeing: the technology that sees the unseen,’ featuring school buses where children carry “guardian angel” UWB keyrings attached to their backpacks.

These keyrings double as nightlights to encourage a nightly charging routine. Beyond the road, the firms expect Vision Pulse to “extend its utility beyond driving assistance,” such as in disaster response to locate individuals “buried under debris during emergencies”.

The system is highly cost-efficient because many modern vehicles already equipped with ‘Digital Key 2’ possess the necessary hardware. The technology is currently being tested in industrial settings, including the Busan Port Authority and Kia’s PBV Conversion Centre in South Korea, where trials have been ongoing since 2025.

As for a UK release, Vision Pulse is currently categorized as an “advanced pre-development technology”. While Kia UK has shared the news via its press office, the company officially notes that its “potential application to mass-production vehicles remains under consideration”.