In all of the years we’ve covered CES, never have we witnessed a stronger emphasis on high-tech platforms and technologies for automobiles.
This year, the connected car experience drove right onto center stage at CES 2015 in Las Vegas.
And some of the genre’s most promising innovators are barely able to drive.
19-year-old CEO TJ Evarts, for example, brought his patented distracted driving solution called SMARTwheel to the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show.
“Developed as proactive solution to help keep drivers focused on the road,” SMARTwheel is billed as being the first intelligent steering wheel cover that helps prevent distracted driving.
“When most people think of distracted driving, they think of cell phones,” says Evarts. “But the problem is bigger than that, especially for teen drivers. I wanted to develop a tool that would actually change how people drive. SMARTwheel™ provides a simple way to make sure drivers stay focused.”
SMARTwheel snaps onto any steering wheel, and uses “sensing technology” to encourage safe hand position and help drivers stay focused on the road.
“Unlike devices that simply record vehicle data, SMARTwheel provides real-time feedback to alert drivers to common distracted driving behaviors — allowing them to make corrections before a potential accident,” the product’s innovators announced ahead of CES. “The device delivers teachable insights wirelessly to a smartphone app, letting parents and teens track improvement with a simple grading system.”
SMARTwheel is now part of an Indiegogo campaign to raise launch-funds ahead of the product’s anticipated 2015 market debut.
