Whelen Innovations and Technology
For more than 70 years, our innovation has been guided by our creativity, firsthand experiences, and engineering excellence. We constantly drive for change and innovation in the field by working together to spark new ideas, challenging the status quo, and aiming for the seemingly impossible. We push the boundaries of what is possible in first responder safety and along the way we’ve come up with processes and technologies that set us apart from other manufacturers.
It’s our dedication to redefining safety standards and surpassing expectations that have earned us a reputation as a trailblazer in the emergency warning industry. As you explore this page, you’ll see the culmination of decades of our innovation, research, and dedication to increasing first responder safety as we embrace our mission of protecting the lives of those who serve and protect our communities.
Technology
Dynamic Variable Intensity™ (DVI™)
Our revolutionary DVI flash patterns are a cutting-edge innovation designed to transform nighttime emergency scenes into calm and safe environments for first responders and the public. DVI flash patterns are designed to create a calm warning environment and bring an advanced level of safety to nighttime emergency scenes. DVI patterns calm the scene by gradually increasing and decreasing warning light intensity, which better conveys visual information to approaching motorists at night. Lower warning light intensity reduces glare which allows drivers to feel less stress and increases their ability to safely navigate around a scene. These patterns clearly indicate when an emergency vehicle is parked and improve a driver’s ability to safely navigate around an emergency scene, while meeting all optical requirements of NFPA and SAE standards when properly configured. DVI patterns elevate scene safety to a whole new level.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Sync
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Sync (V2V Sync) is a ground-breaking technology that has revolutionized nighttime emergency scene safety by harnessing the power of synchronization. Synchronized flash patterns and tones improve motorists’ response times and ability to see first responders or roadside workers so they can safely navigate around them. Studies show that drivers have quicker response times when lights are synchronized and are better able to navigate around emergency scenes as opposed to situations where every light is flashing at its own rate. When it comes to emergency response times, every second counts, and the consistent and coordinated patterns of V2V Sync patterns enable quicker decision-making allowing drivers to maneuver safely around a scene.
Lowering Intensity
Lowering warning light intensity at night reduces glare, allows drivers to feel less stress, and increases their ability to safely navigate around a scene.
Removing Edges
DVI™ ENABLED light patterns eliminate flash edges and gradually increase and decrease warning light intensity to better convey visual information to approaching motorists.
Slower Flash Patterns
Slowing the flashes-per-minute down allows the motoring public to better absorb their surroundings, process the environment and feel more at ease as they navigate the roadway.
Synchronized Flash Patterns
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Synchronization of flash patterns and tones has been shown to improve motorists’ response times and ability to see first responders on the scene.
WeCanX®
WeCanX is Whelen’s smartest and most powerful CAN-based communication system ever designed. WeCanX provides true system synchronization, greater speed capabilities, expanded peripheral add-ons, and full support of diagnostics. It was designed for optimal situational awareness programming and can process over 65,000 virtual inputs.
Simulate™
Simulate™ is our industry-first web application that saves time and simplifies vehicle programming by allowing users to verify configurations from anywhere, share simulations with other users, and troubleshoot configurations all before transferring them to a vehicle.
In a few easy steps, Simulate allows users to upload their Whelen Command® WeCanX® configurations and replicate how they will look and sound on a vehicle. Users can see and hear their configurations before connecting lightbars, lightheads, and CenCom Core® control systems to a vehicle. With Simulate, you can view all sides of the vehicle to verify programming is correct, and if changes are needed, easily make updates in Command and reupload the file for verification. Easily add products like the Edge® 9X lightbar, Arges® Remote Spotlight, and Tracer™ WeCanX® to your vehicle in Simulate to see how the light patterns look BEFORE adding them to your vehicle! Head to our blog post HERE for an in-depth look at Simulate.
Processes and Testing
As the leading manufacturer of emergency warning equipment, we’re committed to developing new products and technologies that not only pave the way for safer emergency scenes but are proven reliable in any situation. All our products undergo rigorous testing before being released for public use. Our in-house resources include state-of-the-art testing chambers to ensure our products hold up against sub-zero and triple-digit temperatures, corrosion, rain, UV exposure, vibration, and more. By having certified on-site test labs, we’re pushing beyond the status quo to bring the highest-quality and most reliable products to first responders.
Hard-Coating
Our industry-first innovative Hard-Coating process counteracts the effects of environmental and chemical damage to our lenses and domes. Hard-coating increases the visual life of lenses and protects them from degradation from UV radiation and provides scratch resistance against sand, salt, and road chemicals. From Legacy® lightbars to L31 Beacons and dozens of products in between, we hard-coat up to 45,000 lenses a day in our Charlestown, New Hampshire facility. For an in-depth look at our hard coating process, check out our blog post HERE.
E Block™
Our patented E Block technology protects against the elements by creating a watertight seal around a unit’s stranded wires to prevent moisture from entering the lighthead. E Block is used across several product families including M Series™ lightheads, WorkSide™, and WeCanX 2250.
Fully Encapsulated
Our fully encapsulated products have a thick, protective coating that provides long-lasting defense against water and moisture. Fully encapsulated products are designed to be mounted anywhere on a vehicle regardless of exposure to the elements and are IP67-rated against water and other particles like sand and dust.
Conformal Coating
A thin conformal coating is applied over the contours of the PCB to safeguard the electronic components from harsh environmental factors like dust, moisture, and temperature fluctuations. It also provides protection against vibration, impact, and other mechanical stress.
Optics Technology
Advanced Placement Take-Down™ with SmartFocus Technology™
Our revolutionary take-down light, available as an option in Liberty™ II lightbars, enhances safety at nighttime traffic stops for both law enforcement officers and the motoring public by giving officers the flexibility and control to direct white lighting at traffic stops without compromising their vision or that of oncoming traffic. Advanced Placement Take-Downs feature two beam options, an ultra-focused spotlight for laser-like focus on the vehicle ahead, and a slightly wider spread for expanding the white light around the vehicle when necessary. Officers can seamlessly “beam shift” between the two light spreads, easily adapting to different scenarios on the fly.
ProFocus™
Innovative single-optic LED technology that can be customized and programmed as a spotlight or floodlight with no moving parts. This all-in-one technology provides a seamless transition from flood to spot so on scene you can focus on what’s important. Pro Focus technology is used in our best-selling Arges® Remote Spotlight.
