To precisely detect an obstacle even in a condition that a tail gate installed at a rear end of a vehicle is opened in an obstacle detecting device detecting the obstacle at the rear part of the vehicle.
A vehicle 2 is equipped with a platform 4 at the rear part of a compartment, and a tail gate 6 at its rear end. This obstacle detecting device detecting an obstacle 20 at the rear part of the vehicle using an ultrasonic sensor 12 assembled in a bumper below the tail gate 6 is provided with an opening/closing sensor 8 detecting an opening/closing condition of the tail gate 6. When an opening condition of the tail gate 6 is detected by the opening/closing sensor 8, the time from when ultrasonic waves are radiated from the ultrasonic sensor 12 to when the obstacle 20 at the rear part of the vehicle is detected on the basis of receiving signals from the ultrasonic sensor 12 is delayed by a predetermined delay time ΔTs, so as to prevent misdetection of the obstacle 20 due to reflection waves from the tail gate 6.
SATO YOSHIHISA
KATO KOJI
