Mark Matousek/Business Insider
CarWink.
- CarWink, made by Innovart, allows drivers to communicate with vehicles behind them using text and animations.
- Drivers hang the circular, digital display on their rear windshield and use voice prompts to display one of its pre-set animations or messages.
- Some of the pre-set messages and animations don't seem useful, but others, like the ability to tell a car behind yours to turn off its high beams, could solve common problems for drivers.
Communicating with a car behind yours is difficult, particularly when the point you want to make can't be conveyed with a simple hand gesture. CarWink, made by Innovart, allows drivers to communicate with vehicles behind them using text and animations.
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Drivers hang the circular, digital display on their rear windshield and use voice prompts to display one of its pre-set animations or messages. For example, if the car behind yours honks while you're stopped at an intersection to let a pedestrian cross, saying, "Carwink, pedestrian crossing," will display an image of a figure crossing a road followed by text that says, "ped xing."
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Some of the pre-set messages and animations don't seem useful (if you say, "Carwink, party time," the device will display an image of what appears to be a dinosaur wearing a hat and waving a flag), but others, like the ability to tell a car behind yours to turn off its high beams, could solve common problems for drivers.
CarWink seems overly expensive ($199 for immediate delivery, $169 for a pre-order with an uncertain timeline) at the moment, but its technology could be useful to just about anyone who drives.
What it is: The CarWink digital communication device
Who makes it: Innovart
Why it's the best: It's simple, novel, and solves a common problem for drivers.
Where and when you can get it: Innovart's website
How much it will cost: $199 for immediate delivery, $169 for a pre-order with an uncertain timeline