A smartwatch that monitors the
performance of a vehicle as well
as the driver has been launched
by car manufacturer Nissan.
Just like a traditional smartwatch,
the Nissan Nismo measures the
user's heart rate, temperature
and other biometrics, reports the
BBC.
But it also allows users to keep
an eye on their car's
performance - including average
speeds and fuel consumption.
Experts say that the watch could
be an important step towards
greater connectivity in cars.
"Connectivity is the new
battleground for car
manufacturers," said Chas Hallett,
editor-in-chief of What Car?
"In-car internet is coming and
now with consumer electronics
focusing on watch-based
connections, Nissan is getting
ahead of the game and joining
the two together very cleverly."
The Nismo watch can be
connected to the car's on-board
computer system to allow users
to monitor vehicle telematics and
performance data. Users can also
receive tailored messages from
Nissan via the gadget.
It was unveiled ahead of the
Frankfurt Motor Show, which
runs until 22 September.
"Wearable technology is fast
becoming the next big thing and
we want to take advantage of
this innovative technology," said
Gareth Dunsmore, marketing
communications general
manager at Nissan, Europe.
A glut of smartwatches has hit
the market recently, including
Samsung's Galaxy Gear and
Sony's Smartwatch 2.
Car-connected watches could be
even more useful than those
offered by consumer electronic
firms, thinks Hallett.
"Imagine if you could heat up
your car on a cold day before you
got into it or shut the roof of
your convertible when it started
raining and it was parked
outside," he said.
The Nissan Leaf electric car
already allows users to interact
with it via their mobile phone,
said Dunsmore, and such
functionality should be available
in the firm's next-generation
watches.
The current gadget is one of the
first products to come out of its
Nismo laboratory, which
captures live biometric and
telematics data from Nissan
racing cars and their drivers.
The lab plans to use
electrocardiograms (ECG) and
electroencephalograms (EEG) in
the future to capture a range of
heart and brainwave data.
The eventual aim would be to
create wearable technology for
drivers that can spot fatigue,
monitor drivers' levels of
concentration and emotions and
record hydration levels.
The Nismo, which comes in three
colours and has a battery life of
around a week, can be controlled
by two buttons on the screen.

www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/nissan-launches-nismo-smartwatch-drivers