Hyundai connects Google Glass to your new car

Hyundai is exploring merging wearable technology with the next generation of vehicles.

The automaker's cloud-based Blue Link platform -- available in cars including the new 2015 Genesis -- is used by drivers in-car or through a mobile device to check a vehicle's mechanical status or to use maps and find gas stations. However, with the emergence of wearable technology and the rapidly approaching release of the Google Glass headset, Hyundai plans to launch a Blue Link application to connect the driver remotely to their car.

The new application, dubbed Blue Link Glassware, will allow drivers to use the Blue Link's platform services without reaching for their smartphone. The app will be released alongside the new 2015 Genesis sedan next year.

"We see wearables as a technology trend, expanding from fitness and health monitoring to broader applications," Barry Ratzlaff, Hyundai Motor America's executive director of Customer Connect and the Service Business Development.

"We're always exploring new ways to use technology to enhance the ownership experience for our customers. Wearables are a great way to extend the experience outside of the vehicle by leveraging these small screens to quickly access remote features and deliver timely vehicle information."

As wearable technology-based screens are smaller than smartphones, Hyundai says vehicle information will be presented on Android cards, including notifications when maintenance is due. The application will also allow owners to access features like remote start, remote door lock/unlock, vehicle finder, and POI send-to-car.

While Glass-based apps could save drivers time and effort, the question of its success may boil down to price. The $700 Glass headsets are unlikely to drop in cost for several years to come, so the app may arrive too soon to be useful for most drivers.

Via: Hyundai

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com