A smartwatch that monitors the performance of a vehicle as well as the driver has been launched by car manufacturer Nissan.
Like many other smartwatches, the Nissan Nismo measures the user's heart rate, temperature and other biometrics.
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.
Concentration levels
"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 Mr 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 Mr 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.
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