VEHICLE MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHOD

A vehicle including a monitoring apparatus comprising a drone housing and a drone configured to be stowable in the drone housing and deployable for flying adjacent to the vehicle. The drone comprising a frame, at least one rotor connected to the frame, and at least one sensor connected to the frame. The at least one sensor is configured to monitor an area adjacent to the vehicle when the drone is deployed and provide a feedback signal. The vehicle further comprises a control module operably connected to the drone. The control module is configured to output a warning signal to a driver of the vehicle which is indicative of a potential hazard. The warning signal is responsive to the feedback signal of the at least one sensor of the drone.