“To help commercial fleets avoid financial losses, transport downtime, delivery delays, and logistical disruptions, I recommend that commercial fleets switch to a modern auto glass monitoring system,” says Andrii Svynchak, entrepreneur, inventor and founder of Auto sklo LLC (Illinois, USA).
He emphasizes that it is possible to prevent many negative consequences of untimely detection of damage to automobile glass through innovative technologies. His proprietary development CrackAlert is just such an invention.
The problem of the industry
Andrii says that vehicle glass is a critical safety component. However, due to irregular, untimely, exclusively visual inspections, microcracks, hidden impacts, and minor damage often go unnoticed, which can pose a serious threat and affect vehicle operation in the future. As a result, the risk of accidents, fines, and unexpected expenses increases.
“I saw that the auto glass condition monitoring system needed fundamental changes. That is why I decided to create CrackAlert,” says the expert. “Thanks to the use of modern technologies, it is already possible to move from a reactive monitoring model, when damage was first noticed and then repaired, to a proactive one: to predict and prevent its occurrence.”
About CrackAlert
“CrackAlert is an IoT device, an innovative development for monitoring the condition of auto glass. The system is unique because it combines several technologies that are not usually used in such a configuration in devices,” says the inventor. “This monitoring system uses advanced sensor technology to analyze the dynamics and direction of impacts, register sharp impulses, detect microvibrations, minor damage and the formation of small cracks at an early stage.”
Andrii says that CrackAlert will operate using artificial intelligence. Using proprietary algorithms, the invention will be able to classify impacts and crack patterns based on sensor data, analyze images of damage using Computer Vision methods, assess the potential spread of cracks and distinguish real damage from road noise, weather and aerodynamic effects.
Svynchak's development differs from other devices of this type in the presence of sensors that will perform dual verification. One sensor will transmit detected events to another, which will perform a secondary check, determine the location of the damage even more precisely and filter out noise notifications. CrackAlert will operate through a multi-stage monitoring process. First, the sensors detect impact or abnormal vibration. The system then verifies the signal, analyzes potential damage, and transmits the information to the application. Fleet managers receive instant notifications and can respond immediately. Such instant detection of damage at the moment of its occurrence allows repairs before full windshield replacement becomes necessary.
“The use of multiple sensors provides a more accurate analysis of mechanical damage, increases the reliability of collected data and minimizes the risk of false activations,” explains the inventor.
He says that CrackAlert will be a completely autonomous device that is not integrated into the vehicle’s electrical system and continues to work when the car is turned off.
Application
In the US, windshield condition requirements are regulated by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). They establish mandatory requirements for the safety, design and performance of vehicles. For commercial vehicles, the provisions of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations also apply, according to which the windshield in the driver’s field of vision must not have cracks or other damage that may affect traffic safety. In addition, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), which conducts road inspections in North America, considers critical windshield defects as grounds for removing the vehicle from service.
“Since these requirements apply to more than a million commercial vehicles in the United States, my development can be integrated with a large number of vehicles. The technology can be adopted by logistics fleets, public transportation systems, government vehicles, courier services, taxi companies, and long-haul freight operators. These sectors play an important role in the U.S. economy and public safety. Large-scale application of CrackAlert will help fleets comply with regulatory requirements and improve operational safety,” says Andrii.
The device he developed will be installed directly on the glass or can be placed inside a rigid mounting frame fixed to the windshield. It is important that the housing presses the sensor area directly to the surface without reducing vibration sensitivity.
CrackAlert currently has no direct competitors on the U.S. market. None of the existing solutions combine multi-sensor integration, low-power autonomous operation, and AI-based analytics in a single integrated IoT system. Most existing diagnostic systems cannot analyze windshield condition, detect microcracks or impact damage, or predict the likelihood of windshield defects.
“I am convinced that my invention will reduce the risk of accidents and increase driver and passenger safety. By detecting damage at an early stage, the system will help prevent sudden windshield breakage, hazards associated with limited visibility, and operational deformation risks.”
Andrii plans to create a mobile application called CrackAlert, which will be developed for iOS and Android devices to monitor and provide real-time alerts about dangerous conditions.
The implementation of this IoT system will significantly reduce fleet operating costs, reduce the number of emergency replacements, help avoid unexpected damage, minimize repair costs and plan maintenance in advance.
“In the long term, I plan to scale CrackAlert for adoption across logistics companies, delivery service providers, taxi fleets, car rental agencies and public transport networks. I also plan to collaborate with fleet maintenance providers, auto glass repair companies, insurance organizations and safety compliance services. In the future, I aim to support the integration of the early damage detection system into internal protocols and regulations of transportation companies and preventive maintenance standards to minimize risks to the safety of the driver and passengers.”
