AutoBot Car “Appliance” on Way

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AutoBot is a new car electronics “appliance” that will be sold through 12-volt retailers and CE stores as well as car dealers.

It just won an i-stage award from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) in a competition for the most innovative consumer technologies that will soon come to market.

The AutoBot has free 3G and GPS service and plugs into the car’s OBD-ll port by the user. You get a Cloud account where information on your car is stored. And it basically gives you access to dozens of car functions from your smartphone. You can find out if you need an oil change, you can remotely unlock your car doors or close the windows from any location. You get emergency notification to 911 in an accident. If you can’t find your car, it will show you where it’s parked. It will alert you when your teen driver leaves a proscribed area. And if your car is stolen it will help locate it.

The hook is that AutoBot does this with out any service fees and the device can be plugged in by the user (without professional installation). The catch is that the user must be willing to get a few coupons a month from advertisers.

The product will be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in January at CEA’s emerging devices booth. A beta test with car dealerships should begin around that time. From there, the AutoBot should be offered to retailers in 2012 at a price under $300, said Madison Hamman of Mavizon Technologies, developer of AutoBot.

The company is also looking into adding remote start capability. “Control of the car is limited to the car itself. If you don’t have remote entry then it can’t do it. We’re looking at ways to include remote start,” said Hamman.

Apps to work with the AutoBot are expected to be available for the iPhone and Android phones. The device will work in all cars with an OBD-ll port (any car produced in 1996 or later).

Mavizon hopes to also offer a premium tier for a small fee in addition to its free services, said Hamman.

Source: CEA via iStockAnalyst and CEoutlook

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