We live in a world which can’t function without cars. We rely on them to get to work, carry our shopping, visit grandma, replenish supermarket stocks and bring us our mail. They’re literally everywhere around us and yet, not many know exactly how they work and how to fix them.
Luckily enough, we also live in the day when technology makes everything easier and every Bill and Jane can now scan their cars for problems using a dongle and an app. We’ve seen earlier how FIXD works, now it’s time to concentrate on another ambitious project that started on Indiegogo - DRIVEBOT.
The idea started about two years ago, when one member of the Thai team went through a nasty accident because the car’s engine suddenly stopped at 120 km/h (74 mph). Bringing the wreck to a mechanic, he found out his car had been slowly developed the issue in time, and just like a time bomb, it suddenly killed the engine at the wrong time and place.
That’s how the DRIVEBOT idea came to life, an OBD scanner that keeps you informed about your car’s health every time you take a trip. As with other similar systems, it composes of a hardware piece (the dongle) and a software for your smartphone.
In the works
So, all you need to do to stay informed is to charge the dongle’s battery, insert it into the OBD-II plug (usually located somewhere under your steering wheel or in the glovebox) and connect it via Bluetooth to your smartphone.
A very intuitive and modern interface will keep track of the most important systems on your car, like the engine, transmission, brakes, air conditioning, steering and battery.
When it detects a problem, it will immediately notify you and instead of just showing you the error code associated with the issue, it will actually translate it for you so no diagnostics manual or internet searches are required.
Moreover, DRIVEBOT will also tell you what could have possibly caused the problem and some quick fixes if available so you won’t have to visit the dealership for, say a loose screw.
The system can scan the data and provide you real time engine parameters like load value, coolant temperature, oil pressure and more. When something it’s wrong, you’ll be informed to remedy the problem and avoid big problems happening over time.
Of course there are more features than that
Let the app use the internet and the GPS and it will monitor your daily routes to work for example. Over time, it will learn about the way you drive and give you suggestions on how to improve, reduce wear and fuel consumption via actual advice and alternate routes.
Once you arrive at the destination, the device stores your a trip log which you can send to your email. Doing the business trip tax won’t get any easier than this.
You can meet the team and donate to the cause on the project’s Indiegogo page here, where you’ll actually find out it already accomplished two of its three milestones and expects to start shipping at the beginning of next year.
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