Thanks to some devices and some applications it is possible to turn your old car into a smart car spending less than one hundred euros
Smart devices are arriving also inside the cars: more and more car manufacturers are installing inside the vehicles touch screens to control the engine temperature and the notifications that arrive on the smartphone.
Unfortunately, the smart car models available on the market, most of the times, have a price impossible for most people. Fortunately, there are devices available on the market that allow you to turn your car into a smart car. Devices that, using modern technologies and an application to be installed on your smartphone, allow you to access special features and to control at any time the “health” of your car. But that’s not all. It will be possible to receive advice on which road to take and to contact loved ones in case of an accident.
Although it is little publicized, the sector of intelligent devices to be connected to the OBD socket (On-boards diagnostics) of the car has quite interesting numbers. More and more Italians want to know in real time the status of their vehicle and how long it takes to change the brakes or do a general maintenance. If you want to turn your old car into a smart car, here are the best apps and devices available on the market.
iOn Road
(Taken from YouTube)
Let’s start with an app that takes advantage of augmented reality to improve the safety of your car and your driving. iOn Road takes advantage of your smartphone’s sensors to prevent any kind of accident, warning the driver when he is getting too close to the car in front of him. The application is very useful especially for those who don’t have sensors in their car to help them drive or park. Thanks to GPS, sensors like the accelerometer and augmented reality, iOn Road shows on the smartphone screen the speed of the cars in front of us and the distance that separates us. In case a danger appears on the road or we are getting too close to the vehicle in front, the application will emit a signal to prevent a collision. In the premium version you’ll also have a special feature that will warn you when you are leaving the road. You’ll be able to read notifications from instant messaging applications directly within the app, and if you receive an incoming call you’ll automatically activate the speakerphone. Finally, after parking, you can take a picture of the place and find your car through the directions of iOn Road. The app is available for free on the Google Play Store and the App Store (but you can make in-app purchases).
Dash Drive Smart
Dash Drive Smart is one of the best solutions on the market for turning your car into a smart car. Dash Drive Smart consists of a Bluetooth device that connects to the car’s OBD (On-boards diagnostics) socket and communicates with an application developed specifically for smartphones and tablets and that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the App Store. The device is also quite inexpensive: with an expenditure of less than one hundred euros you can buy it online. After installing the application, on the screen of the smartphone will appear, in real time, useful information about the status of your car: Dash Drive Smart performs an instant diagnosis of the vehicle, informing the user if it is necessary to replace any part. In addition, it will be possible to view the speed of travel, the kilometers driven, the amount of gasoline in the tank. Finally, you can also check the petrol stations in the vicinity of the car on the application.
Automatic Link
Another popular solution for turning your vehicle into a smart car is Automatic Link: the operation is very similar to Dash Drive Smart. Automatic Link consists of a Bluetooth device that must be connected to the car’s self-diagnosis port (OBD) and that transmits to the application available on the Google Play Store and the App Store all the information regarding the vehicle and the driver’s driving habits. The device lets you know in advance if any part of the car is breaking down and how soon it needs to be serviced. Automatic Link communicates directly with the car’s ECU and provides the same information that mechanics have. In addition, it analyzes the person’s driving and provides useful advice on how to improve it to decrease fuel consumption and tire wear. For example, you should not make sudden accelerations or braking. In addition, the device also provides directions to get to a place while trying to save as much gasoline as possible. By setting an emergency number, in case of an accident or breakdown, the device automatically calls a family member of the user and warns him of the problem. Finally, thanks to the integrated GPS it allows you to track your car in case of a breakdown or if you can’t remember where you parked it. Another way to turn your car into a connected car is to buy a HUD (Heads-Up Display), a device that allows you to show on the windshield of your car all the information about your trip. The operation is quite simple: it will be necessary to install the device on the dashboard and apply a transparent film on the windscreen in order to project images and directions. Through the navigator application developed by Garmin it will be possible to enter the destination of arrival and the HUD will program the trip and start showing on the windshield all the roads to be traveled. Garmin HUD significantly improves driving safety because it allows the user to focus exclusively on the road without having to see the directions of the navigator. The graphics are very clear and illustrative. The cost of Garmin HUD is about 150 euros on the site of the U.S. manufacturer.
Android Auto
(Taken from YouTube)
Google certainly could not avoid developing an application that would turn people’s cars into a smart car. L’app si chiama Android Auto e ha l’obiettivo di portare i servizi e le funzionalità del sistema operativo mobile del robottino verde all’interno delle macchine. Lanciata all’inizio del 2016, all’inizio supportava solamente i veicoli più recenti, con l’ultimo aggiornamento, invece, funziona su tutti i tipi di automobile. Android Auto permette di impostare la destinazione di arrivo e di visualizzare sullo schermo dello smartphone le indicazioni, con un’interfaccia semplificata rispetto a Google Maps. Inoltre, sarà possibile gestire la riproduzione della musica, grazie all’integrazione con applicazioni come Spotify, e rispondere alle chiamate in entrata attraverso il vivavoce. Al momento le funzionalità di Android Auto sono piuttosto semplici, ma è una delle poche soluzioni gratuite per rendere più tecnologica la propria auto.
Fonte foto: redazione
Android Auto è la piattaforma operativa di Google per trasformare la tua auto in una smart car. Clicca sulla foto per scoprire come farla funzionare.
HUD Mpow
Per chi vuole aumentare la sicurezza della propria auto spendendo pochissimi soldi, può acquistare l’HUD (Heads Up Display) realizzato da Mpow. Il dispositivo ha le stesse funzionalità del device realizzato da Garmin: si connette con lo smartphone e tramette sul parabrezza le indicazioni stradali, permettendo all’utente di concentrarsi esclusivamente sulla guida. La qualità dei materiali non si può comparare con quella del dispositivo di Garmin, ma l’HUD Mpow svolge abbastanza bene il suo lavoro. Il prezzo non supera i 25 euro.
Fonte foto: Google
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