Arcure (Blaxtair)

What it does

Arcure develops and manufactures Blaxtair, a pedestrian detection system mounted on industrial vehicles. It uses an embedded 3D camera and AI to tell people apart from other objects in the vehicle's blind zones, then alerts the operator. The aim is to reduce the nuisance alarms that simpler proximity sensors generate when they react to racking, walls or parked equipment. Around the core detector, Arcure sells add-ons: Connect, a dashboard for monitoring risk events; Checklist, for pre-operation inspections; Zoning, which reduces speed in high-risk areas; and vehicle and shock detection. It also supplies its perception technology to vehicle manufacturers.

Who it is for

Blaxtair is fitted to forklifts, wheel loaders, excavators, dump trucks and similar machines. Arcure lists industrial, logistics, recycling and construction sites as its main markets, and trade press has covered its use on quarry plant. It suits sites where the main risk is people being struck by mobile plant, and where fixed CCTV cannot see the blind zones around each moving vehicle.

How it is deployed

Unlike camera analytics that watch a fixed area, Blaxtair travels with the vehicle. A sensor is mounted on the machine and alerts the operator in the cab, and the system can be added to existing vehicles as well as supplied to manufacturers. The Connect dashboard is optional and gathers detection events across vehicles for review by safety managers. Because detection relies on camera vision, buyers should test it in their own lighting, dust and weather conditions.

Notable public customers and coverage

Arcure was founded in December 2009 by Franck Gayraud and Patrick Mansuy, two engineers from aerospace and defense, and the French research agency CEA lists it among its technology spin-off success stories. The first Blaxtair generation launched in 2012. Arcure went public on Euronext Paris in February 2019, said it had deployed its 10,000th unit in July 2021, and released a fifth-generation platform in May 2024. The company says it has about 60 employees, sells in more than 50 countries with subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, Spain and Asia, makes 84% of sales outside France, and had 2023 sales of about €35 million. It names INRS (the French occupational safety research institute), Colas and Vinci among its early partners.

Things to ask in an evaluation

• How does detection perform at night, in rain, dust or low sun on your vehicle types?
• How many sensor heads does each vehicle need for full coverage, including the sides?
• What is the measured nuisance alarm rate on comparable sites, and how do operators react to alarms over time?
• Can Zoning or speed limiting connect to your vehicle controls, and does that affect warranty?
• What data does Connect store about operators, and who can see it?
• What are the installation, calibration and maintenance costs per vehicle over five years?