AutoSentinel

The existing solutions to prevent converter thefts are quite inadequate and expensive. Due to nature of the materials used in constructing these traditional anit-theft devices, their cost can be several hundreds of dollars for just the device itself. While most of these devices provide a physical barrier between a potential perpetrator and the catalytic convertor, they must be professionally installed and are custom designed to fit the frame of specific vehicle models. Consequently, this limits their compatibility to all vehicle models and their portability of transferring the device from one vehicle to another should the consumer wish to remove and install the device on another vehicle.

What we are proposing instead is an AutoSentinel – a standalone security system, the size of a matchbox that can be plugged into the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port, which is present on all post-2000 automobile models. The OBD port is normally used for advanced diagnostics by mechanics or a handy auto-owner but can be used to add some features to a car (e.g., projecting output from an auto-market radar detector to car dashboard or heads-up-display (HUD)). The AutoSentinel installation is a Plug & Play – the car owner installs it into an OBD port (usually on the lower part of the dashboard) with optional installation of a phone app for additional features. The AutoSentinel includes a tilt sensor that is activated whenever a car is locked and is triggered if a car is tilted while being locked. That means that the catalytic converter theft will activate the alarm at the very beginning of the theft when the criminals start raising the car.