Curb feeler

Any particular car may have just one curb feeler installed (as on the pictures) or more if attached near the front and rear, as well as on both sides of the vehicle.

Recreational vehicles sometimes have rubber feelers or metal, antenna-like rods mounted on the lower part of the body that act as feelers so that drivers are warned if they are approaching a curb or other obstruction, thus reducing the chances of gouging or even cutting the tire sidewalls and generally increasing the safety of vehicle operation.

The belting is stiff enough to hold its shape but flexible enough to give if it runs into a miner or vice versa.

[1] Curb feelers based on optical technology are designed to function the same way but work in the proximity of an obstruction rather than having to come into physical contact with it.

One robotics company that does work for the United States Department of Defense uses laser-assisted curb feeler technology.