NAUTO has entered the connected car race for aftermarket devices/services that help drivers deal with traffic and more. It offers a computer vision-enhanced system to upgrade any car with connected car features. The company is trying it out in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The NAUTO system is a device, network and app. An in-vehicle device collects and processes visual data in a secure cloud, which then produces valuable insights to help drivers operate vehicles more efficiently, effectively and safely.
The goal of the collection of data is to show better routes, alerts to accidents and find parking. It is different from Waze that requires the drivers to input data into their smartphones, instead the data is collected by the devices themselves.
NAUTO uses precision computer vision technology, GPS, inertial measurements, cameras and proprietary algorithms to produce a real-time multi-dimensional understanding of the area around the car. Visual data is automatically uploaded and combined data from other NAUTO-equipped vehicles in the area.
NAUTO also gives feedback and coaching to help drivers improve their performance. Simultaneously, NAUTO generates information to help municipalities ease congestion and reach their Vision Zero target of eliminating traffic fatalities.
NAUTO was co-founded earlier this year by its CEO Dr. Stefan Heck, a Stanford Consulting Professor and former McKinsey & Company senior partner, its Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Frederick Soo, a neuroscientist-turned hardware engineer and entrepreneur, and Chief Designer Jesse Ellenbogen who brings years of UX and product design.
The company has already tested its technology in 23 cities around the world, from Bangalore and Vienna to New York and Boston. NAUTO-equipped vehicles began gathering and learning street and driving patterns unique to each city.
They are working on deployment for consumers, fleets and insurance.
NAUTO has its great features of teaching drivers of driving techniques. This will eventually enhance once skills in driving. I believe safety also been tackled, right?