Google patents new road safety feature for Android Wear devices

Google has just filed for a patent on a brand new piece of technology it hopes will improve road safety. According to the information included in the documentation filed at the USPTO, the system will enable smartwatches to detect whether you’re a driver or passenger in a vehicle, so that it can disable certain notifications and functionality to ensure that all drivers are using their Android Wear devices responsibly on the road.

The overall concept is pretty simple. First and foremost, GPS is used to detect whether the wearable is in a moving vehicle. Next, a proprietary piece of software is used to connect to the sensors within the smartwatch to identify whether it is on the wrist of a driver or passenger by observing key movements associated with driving a car, such as the turning of a steering wheel. Finally, if the algorithm determines that the wearer is operating a vehicle, functions like texting and web browsing are immobilized.

As with many patents, it’s entirely possible that this development will never see the light of day, but I, personally, feel it’s a great idea and hope it makes its way onto our Android Wear devices in the not-too-distant future.

Source: USPTO

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