CoPilot uses modern automotive safety features to help keep drivers awake. Tactics to keep drivers awake include trivia games and phone calls with friends. Meanwhile, the car helps direct the driver to a safe place to pull over and take a break.
These tasks mimic the help provided by a passenger, which is why we named it “CoPilot”.
CoPilot started as a pitch at the Mercedes-Benz #HackWithTheBest Hackathon. Our team spent that initial weekend developing a Wizard of Oz prototype that stepped through a series of screens, coordinated to match our voice commands.
Our project was one of three finalists selected for an additional three weeks of development to polish our demo. Since the final product during our additional development time was an extended video commercial, the work we had already done on this prototype continued to save on development time and allow us to focus on the commercial as well as other parts of the final presentation in front of our audience of Daimler / Mercedes-Benz executives flown in from around the world. This prototype also simplified filming since we could step back and forth through the prototype during filming instead of restarting an app over and over.
CoPilot did something unique in that it brought social into the driving experience. I thought if I heard another Drowsy driving pitch…then they caught my attention with a very unique twist. Instead of using the resources of the car to keep you awake, it sources your friends to engage with you to keep your mind alert. No friends? It’ll use trivia. There was more to it, but as far as drowsy driving solutions goes it has a social twist that I haven’t seen before.
Nicole Scott (full article on LinkedIn)