Meet Drivebot, the new wearable for your car

You might think that wearables are just for people and animals but there’s no reason not to let your car get in on the action, too.

As PSFK points out, a new device called Drivebot is designed to be ‘Fitbit for your car’, keeping track of its wellbeing and alerting you to any problems before they (literally) go too far.

The tracker plugs into a port your car and works via Bluetooth. The complementary app is available for iOS (7 or later) and Android (4.5 or later). It should work with all OBD-II compatible cars, which means most cars sold in the US since 1996 and the UK since 2001.

The port is usually under the steering wheel, from where the Drivebot can access the same diagnostics info that mechanics use to check on your car’s health. As well as informing you of any mechanical issues, it will also track your driving, saving details of your trips for two months so it can offer suggestions to reduce mileage in future. And it will remind you when it’s time for a tune-up, too.

By picking up any problems early, the Thai-based inventors hope it will save people money and give them an idea of what they’re dealing with before they consult a mechanic.

The project isn’t roadworthy quite yet: the team’s crowdfunding on Indiegogo to make it a reality. But they’ve already smashed their $35,000 goal, raking in $76,191 with 31 days still to go. They now have a stretch goal of $100,000, which will give users access to the web API. For now, you can pre-order a Drivebot for $155 (around £97) including shipping to the UK, and get plugged in from February 2015.

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