Intended to increase safety and alleviate everyday stress, standard roadside cameras are standard on almost every brand new vehicle sold today. But what about the safety of all people driving in old cars? There is a start-up for that. Tech company CarVi has created a device that offers safety features comparable to those on manufacturer vehicles, and it does not stop there. Added to its versatile suite, a new update is aimed at tackling a seemingly impossible problem that has been plaguing cars for decades: potholes.
With Wired's attention, a CarVi device is a circular camera puck attached to the inside of a windshield, just like an iPass or an improvised Subaru EyeSight. The physical gadget costs $ 299, while the data service costs about $ 19-35. Wired says that the Carvi is currently in about 60,000 vehicles, although many of them are in fleets.
The puck is part of a safety device, partial data dog. The CarVi beeps when drivers drift out of a lane or threaten to crash into the vehicle before it, but also record traffic and driving habits. Now an over-the-air update will add a new feature that gives the camera the power to identify holes in the sky.
Unfortunately, that data would not directly help the driver with the devices. In contrast to Waze's function that warns people about impending impurities on the road, the CarVi simply logs in where they are. This information can then be passed on to the government to speed up the process of establishing the roads. It is a long process, but every help is good. Wired also notes that CarVi has not worked out this plan with government agencies.
Ultimately, this could be a technology used by major manufacturers, allowing them to see the way and collect data. But for now it is just a small idea with big dreams.