Mercedes-Benz is providing a glimpse of one potential technology that enables greater connectivity between the driver and his or her car. The technology is a wrist watch that connects with a car through the internet and provides feedback on vehicle diagnostics and other vehicle-related notifications. The watch was developed by Silicon Valley-based Pebble Technology, which Mercedes-Benz has formed an alliance with and whose application programming interfaces (APIs) the automaker has early access to. The watch connects with Mercedes’ existing Digital DriveStyle app and serves as a simultaneous transmitter and receiver of information.
For example, when away from their vehicle, Mercedes-Benz drivers wearing the watch can review important vehicle information at a glance like fuel level, door-lock status, and vehicle location. When the car is on the road, the watch can alert the driver of real-time hazards through existing Car-2-Car technology, such as accidents, road construction, or stalled vehicles by simply vibrating.
On top of this, drivers can customize the three buttons on the watch to activate their favourite Digital DriveStyle app features like reporting hazards, auto-routing, Siri activation, remote-controlling media, or quickly showing nearby traffic conditions. Mercedes-Benz and its new partner Pebble Technology will present the watch at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 6. –Motorauthority
