FINALLY: A Totally Wireless & Portable Backup Camera System

February 2020 Update: It appears that the crowd-funding efforts we saw for this product were not successful. We tried to reach out to the company in mid-2019 to no avail. We're not sure what the status of the company or the product is at this point.

The National Highway Safety Transportation Agency (NHTSA) announced a new rule back in 2014 that will require vehicles built from May 1, 2018 forward to have an integrated backup camera. The rule applies to all road-legal vehicles under 10,000 pounds.

For those with older vehicles, there are lots of aftermarket backup cameras available. We’ve covered a few here on GarageSpot.com, including the Pearl RearVision and the Perigon Digital HD Rearview Mirror. But our wishlist has always included a truly wireless and portable solution.

Alas, our wishes have been granted.

The Hindsight Rear-View Camera System from 4Sight Systems just launched its Kickstarter campaign to help support the launch of a 100% wireless, completely self-contained and portable backup camera system that, in all honesty, seems to be something we expected to see years ago. Regardless, if the product launch is successful, the Hindsight could very well become the go-to solution for those who’ve wanted a backup camera system but were turned-off by the installation process.

The Hindsight installs in seconds and to pretty much any surface. The base of the unit, which attaches to the rear of the vehicle, uses a unique combination of super-sticky polyurethane and eight high-strength neodymium magnets to create an instant and secure attachment to any clean, dry, flat surface. The magnets are “activated” or “deactivated” using a sliding lever—a smart feature since many newer vehicles have plastic surfaces that won’t be able to utilize the magnets.

The cool thing about the Hindsight is that it can easily be moved from one vehicle to another—or even used indoors as a security camera. Removing the device is simple and won’t leave any residue behind. If the base becomes dirty, it can be washed in soapy water and air-dried to renew its stickiness. And even though it’s easy to remove, 4Sight says it’s secure and was able to withstand somewhere around 25lbs of pull force.

The entire device is relatively small measuring in at just 6.75″ x 4.25″ and is sealed tight to protect against dust and water. It’s also impact-resistant. The integrated camera has a five-megapixel sensor that’s capable of producing 1080p video @ 30fps. The 160° wide-angle lens also means you’ll see everything directly behind and to the rear corners of the vehicle. An onboard ultrasonic obstruction sensor warns the driver of an obstruction up to 10′ away via the app.

The Hindsight is powered by a USB rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that will stream up to four hours of video on a single charge—plenty of time for lots of back-ups. It seems to be, however, a manual process. Meaning that, because the system is wireless, it’s not connected to any integrated vehicle system that can trigger the camera on or off.

Using its own integrated and secure WiFi connection, the Hindsight streams high-quality video to any linked Android or iOS tablet or smartphone up to about 80′. The free custom app has controls to tilt and zoom the camera through a 90-degree arc, and a customizable center-line and visual reference ladder, which are helpful when trailer coupling and backing into parking spaces.

Although it can be used with cars and trucks, the Hindsight could also be useful when used on RVs, utility trailers, farm equipment, and even commercial construction machinery. You can reserve yours now on Kickstarter starting at $249. The retail price will be closer to $300.

Here’s a video tour of the Hindsight Rear-View Camera System:

Here’re three top selling backup cameras on Amazon!