MEC ups obstacle detection with new system launch

MEC is introducing the Lookout Sensing System, an evolution of its obstacle-detection technology, starting with Lookout – Platform.

Lookout – Platform is designed to reduce collision risks for slab scissor lifts and adds front and rear detection during drive functions to combine with existing overhead sensing capabilities.  

MEC’s Lookout-Platform is the first in the company’s Lookout Sensing System. (Photo: MEC).

Scissor lift operators often manoeuvre through tight spaces near walls, building infrastructure, and expensive installed equipment, particularly on projects such as data centre construction. To reduce the risk of damage, some facility owners and safety managers have required additional spotters, protective bumpers, and restrictions on driving lifts with platforms elevated. These precautions can add significant labour and material costs, while slowing down construction progress on sites, explains MEC. 

“We’re seeing more jobsites introduce measures to protect valuable equipment and facilities,” said Corey Raymo, director of aerial work platform products at MEC. “Those precautions address real risks, but they can also limit worker productivity. Lookout gives owners and contractors another tool to manage those risks while supporting safer, more productive operation.”

Ultrasonic sensing 

Lookout – Platform, which builds on MEC’s Proactive Platform Safety System (PPSS), uses four ultrasonic sensors positioned at the front and rear of the platform to detect obstacles in the direction of travel or overhead when lifting. As the scissor lift approaches an obstacle, the system progressively warns, slows, and stops the machine, giving operators more time to recognize and respond to potential hazards.

Lookout-Platform rear sensor. (Photo: MEC).

The system helps reduce collision risks while preserving operator control through:

• Warn — Earlier awareness of nearby obstacles: an audible alert notifies the operator when an obstacle enters the active sensing zone
• Slow — More time to react: as the machine approaches the obstacle, Lookout automatically reduces speed so the operator has additional time to assess the surroundings
• Stop — Help avoid accidental contact: the system stops machine movement at a preset distance from the detected obstacle
• Override — Precise positioning when needed: when work requires moving closer to a structure or obstacle, the operator can override the stop and continue at creep speed.

Technicians can also configure the system for either warn/slow/stop or warn/slow operation to accommodate specific jobsite requirements.

Lookout – Platform is available as an optional retrofit kit for compatible MEC slab scissor lifts, and it can typically be installed in 10-15 minutes. It is also planned as a factory-installed option on new slab scissor lift orders, beginning in November 2026.