The Crayford-based operator has tested Backeye 360 on a Scania OmniExpress tri-axle coach, looking for a solution to prevent damage from rear swing when operating in locations such as central London.
"Judging the point of the rear corners, in relation to traffic behind and to one side, is the most difficult part of driving a big vehicle in my view, and the area most prone to collision and damage on a coach," says Matt Sims, Centaur's managing director.
Backeye 360 is designed to help with low-speed manoeuvres by providing the driver with a real-time surround view of the vehicle in a single image.
Four ultra wide-angle cameras cover each side of the vehicle, with a viewing angle of 180°. High mounted on the front, rear and sides, the calibrated cameras capture all of the area including blind spots.
Using an electronic control unit, the four live images are simultaneously processed, combined, blended and stitched. The distortion from the wide-angle camera lens is also auto corrected to give a clear real-time image on the driver's monitor.
Sims says, from a driver's point of view, the system is "brilliant", adding: "It seems to eliminate blind spots completely – there simply is nowhere a cyclist or car can 'hide'.
"In my honest opinion, it's absolutely going to save lives and with four cyclist and HGV fatalities this year in London, the sooner it becomes mandatory the better."