Will Intelligent Clearance Sonar ICS detect roadside curb?

Largely - no, as the objects have to be certain height to be detected... if it's a very tall curb, then yes. Not sure how tall it has to be...

 

The camera will help you to ensure you don't hit cerbs right behind you, but I get your point about the front and/or the sides of the vehicle... I have a feeling that future technology will address some of your concerns!

 

That "future technology" has a name--curb feelers.

 

While curb feelers will work for parallel parking to protect your rims, my biggest fear is scraping the front of the car when parking perpendicular to a curb. Most cars, particularly SUVs and pickups are high enough that that is not a concern - they drive up until their tires contact the curb. The Prime is so low in front that it will scrape on most curbs. I have even considered attaching a rear-view camera to the front of the car. But I hate to add more clutter to my dash.

 

I wondered the same thing, about curb detection, but thought it unlikely that the current sensors - radar/ultrasonic/infrared/magic-fingers - would do it, and was disappointed.

Then I test drove a Bolt today that showed an overhead view of the car when the backup camera was on (and switched to forward view + overhead when you moved forward while maneuvering into a space. Obviously there wasn't a camera directly overhead, the overhead view was being created from a stored top view of the car style (in the right color) plus imagery from the front and rear cameras. It seems to me that it was showing the closer elements of the cars on either side while I backed into the spot, but by the time I was slotted in and stopped, and could think about anything other than not bumping anything and which unfamiliar controls made the car do what, there was enough space on either side that they wouldn't have shown in the top view anyway - but I've really wondering if it would show the positions of lane stripes and curbs, digitally created or "photoshopped in" from camera images stored during the parking maneuvers. Interesting concept, and easily enough checked on another test drive, but someone else will have to do that if you want an early answer. I'm going to be stalling on choosing a new vehicle for a while. :}

But if the Bolt is not currently showing curbs and stripes alongside, it is certainly within technical reach, with just cameras, but perhaps a bit more processing power, or perhaps with just a software upgrade.

The Prius Prime has front and back cameras, and a big display. Expect it from Toyota eventually, perhaps next year.

I'd certainly rather have the overhead visual than have the automation using a bunch of invisible proximity sensor inputs but not sharing the data with me.

The Bolt is an absolutely wonderful car, by the way, in many ways the nicest car I have driven in over fifty years of driving.

Any of the Bolt, Volt, Prius Prime, would be a joy to own, as would the Kia Niro hybrid, which was another favorite, but missed the play value of managing regen, etc. What I really want is the Niro plug-in hybrid, which may or may not come out before the end of the year. And I want it in the Kia Soul's Alien 2 green. Why is it so hard to get a Green car in green?

 

I have the UK model with 15 inch wheels. On mine, the t y r e s (I use the UK spelling!) are significantly wider than the wheels, and so the rims are protected by the t y r e s and don't get scratched.

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