Brigade Electronics' mission: to save lives and make roads and job sites safer for everyone.

Anywhere in the world, large on road vehicles and off road mobile machinery pose a hazard. Fortunately, the importance of occupational safety and health is increasingly recognized and these hazards are slowly but surely being addressed. Not only are increasing regulations ensuring this, but the construction industry is also improving its image and investing in safety measures.

Brigade Electronics has been in existence for 43 years and specializes in vehicle safety in commercial vehicles and machinery. It was the first to introduce the reversing alarm in Europe and has since grown from a one-man business to one of the largest players with an extensive range of vehicle safety solutions. Speaking is Huib Slijkhuis, managing director at Brigade. "Thanks to our solid global network and years of experience and expertise gained in the construction and earthmoving industry, we at Brigade understand the industry and the problems customers face like no other."

Brigade's 360-degree camera mounted on a vehicle.

Keep it simple

Slijkhuis says that thanks to the innovative and extensive engineering department within Brigade, they have developed products, which are especially important for the GWW sector. "360-degree camera systems, radar detection systems and ultrasonic detection systems can still provide the driver with optimal information in difficult working and weather conditions. All provide more safety around the vehicle, but it is important that it is easy to use in practice: Plug & Play. And affordable for everyone," believes Slijkhuis. "Because we hear quite often on the construction site the statement 'it's not affordable or it doesn't exist yet...'. We are really driven to let people know what is already possible. And if the customer's wish does not yet exist, we still look at how we can offer him a customized solution! Of course, with us, affordability is never at the expense of quality!"

Brigade's Backeye®360 displays 360 degrees around the vehicle.

360 degree camera system

In 2014, Brigade introduced the Backeye^®360, the first 360-degree vision system where the driver sees the entire vehicle and its surroundings on his monitor. Now it is one of the most widely used safety systems. It eliminates all blind spots and thus increases safety immediately for 99%. All major importers of excavators already apply this system. "The next step is to combine the Backeye 360 with radar detection," Slijkhuis said.

Backsense radar detection

The Backsense provides the driver with audible and visual warnings in five stages. Distances can be programmed for application to vehicles of various sizes, from 2 meters wide and 10 meters long to 3 by 30 meters. Radar obstacle detection detects both moving and stationary objects, even in the most adverse conditions such as fog, dust, vibration, heat, cold, UV, snow, ice, wind, water and mud. The optional display module integrates the image of the Backeye 360 and the Backsense into one image.

With the Backsense on the back of the shovel, it's always safe work!

White noise in the danger zone

To protect workmen walking or working around a machine, Brigade provides BBS-Tek, the white noise reversing alarm. This alarm, unlike the traditional "tuut tuut" alarm, can only be heard in the danger zone and can be localized immediately. So one hears immediately where the vehicle is and where it is going. The latest variation on BBS technology is the QVS (Quiet Vehicle Sounder), which actually adds sound to electric vehicles, which pose a danger below 30 mph because of their silence. "The transition to electric is currently in full swing," Slijkhuis explains, "so a lot of work for us."