If you’re a parent and your teenager just got his or her driver license and you fear they might be quite ok on the road without your supervision, hang on tight. The technology to allow you to snoop in on your kid is available.
Unveiled at this year’s edition of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Valeo Voyage XR offers the possibility for the driver to connect and interact with a person who is not inside the vehicle, while also giving said person a first-hand experience of what it’s like on the backseat of the car.
To put it simply, using this technology, parents can backseat-drive their teen’s car without even having to be there. They can also use it to give important instructions and bits of advice, the teen will also be able to engage. For parents, it’s the second-best thing to actually being on the ride. For the teen, it’s probably not the most ideal situation, because, well… teens are not exactly known to want to spend more time with their folks.
Of course, Voyage XR can also be used for less intrusive / controlling purposes. As the French automotive parts maker says, it can be used to “teletransport” your loved ones on board. The technology should work well for members of families who live great distances apart, allowing them to bond regardless of the distance.
“Thanks to a wide range of technologies developed by the group (cameras, sensors, telematics, human-machine interface …), Valeo Voyage XR creates the illusion that a person of your choice, located outside the vehicle, is by your side. The individual’s avatar appears in the rear-view mirror and you can both interact using sound and image in real time,” Valeo says.
“In addition to its enhanced safety features for remote-control driving, Valeo Voyage XR opens the door to a whole new world of experiences inside the vehicle,” adds the company.
Not only are both parties able to talk to each other, but whoever is using the VR helmet can scroll through photos and share them with the driver on a small screen. One might find that this adds to the possible distractions that could make the driver crash, but Valeo doesn’t see it that way. Neither does it consider the rearview mirror being turned into a screen for an avatar as a possible distraction.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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