I am one of those people that looks at smart watches and thinks “what’s the point?” They seem like a fashion accessory that adds little utility to my smartphone. If I get a text, I have to pull my phone out to respond. Why do I need to read it on my wrist first? One time I can see the benefit of a smart watch is while driving. Your phone buzzes and your wrist displays the text or e-mail. No need to pull your phone out and risk a ticket or a wreck. Now, let’s take that scenario a little further. You are driving and your car’s check engine light kicks on. Unlike most people, I usually just say, “eh, it’s still running and it’s not of fire” and keep going. The average person, or anyone with their head firmly attached to their shoulders, might want to know what the light is indicating.
This is where Scania of Sweden has come up with a great way for owners of their trucks to get that kind of information immediately. Scania has paired up with Sony to create the Black Griffin Smart Watch. This gives real time information about the Scania truck to the driver’s wrist. I would love that! It is like having a sophisticated scan tool and data logger on your wrist. The Black Griffin can track fuel consumption, driving efficiency, and average speed on top of all the regular smart watch tricks. There are also plans for the Black Griffin to monitor the driver’s pulse rate. This could be a huge help in accident avoidance. Scania doesn’t sell into the US but this is a great product and I really hope that I can get something similar to pair with my ride soon.
Scania (from a US layman’s perspective) seems like a solid company. They asked us to talk about the Black Griffin, but I was happy to as it is a terrific re-purpose of existing technology.
Disclosure: This article is sponsored by Scania. All views and opinions expressed here are my own. Check out our advertising guidelines to see why we’d never steer you wrong.
