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Developers continue to churn out ideas to make life easier in all aspects as technological advancements rise.
One of the technologies that recently stirred a debate in Kenya was a unique truck side-mirror camera. These cameras are mostly used on Mercedes- Benz heavy-duty trucks called Actros.
The Actros range was introduced in 1995 and quickly achieved significant commercial success as a suitable solution for long-distance and heavy-duty haulage.
Camera arms on these trucks are ten centimetres shorter on each side, and new image parameters provide even better support for drivers in road traffic situations.
A photo collage of an advanced mirror cam (left) and an image of a conventional side mirror (right)
Roadtrains
The exterior of the second MirrorCam generation stands out because the camera arms on both sides have been shortened by ten centimetres.
This applies to both the narrower and wider cab and has the advantage, among other things, that drivers can reverse in a straight line more easily than with the first MirrorCam generation.
This particularly comes from MirrorCam’s perspective, now even more akin to conventional glass mirrors.
Additionally, the MirrorCam arms now incorporate an enhanced housing design, reducing the risk of debris obscuring the camera lens and causing undesirable visual effects.
Interestingly, the camera system’s evolution in colour and brightness adaptation means that the displays show the area relevant to the driving situation even more accurately when the vehicle reverses into a dark or poorly lit facility.
The enhanced system can also help to manage situations such as overtaking, manoeuvring, driving in poor visibility and darkness, and cornering and passing narrow spaces even more safely and without causing stress.
One Kim Enock engaged his audience online, seeking clarification on the cameras.
Among the answers was, “This is a mirror cam called MP5 already in Tanzania,” Musa Achu replied,
In contradiction, Willy Bett argued, “This is not an MP5, it is an MP4 though it can still use Mirrorcams of MP5. These mirror cams can be fixed on either mp4 or 5.”
An image of trucks plying a Kenyan highway
AllAfrica
