Smart Watch Links Car and Driver

Like tech from a cyberpunk novel, Nissan announced a new smart
watch that will link drivers intimately with their cars, showing both
driving telemetry such as speed, and driver heart rate.

As reported by CNET: The link between man and machine drove car enthusiasts for decades, unwitting adherents to Marinetti's Futurist Manifesto, yet until now that link lacked coherence. Nissan's Nismo smart watch takes the first step in using technology to quantify the connection between car and driver.

Smart watches have only gained momentum in the last couple of years, and Nissan is first to jump on the bandwagon, today announcing its Nismo Watch Concept.

The watch is designed for drivers of Nissan Nismo model variants, currently encompassing the 370Z, Juke, and upcoming GT-R. Photos Nissan released ahead of the unveil at the Frankfurt auto show this week show the watch in traditional Nismo black and red, but the company says it will also offer it in black or white.

Using a Bluetooth Low Energy connection, the watch gathers telemetry data from the car, including speed, along with efficiency information, such as fuel consumption. Nissan says the telemetry data will show drivers their track-record performance.

The watch shows driver heart rate and vehicle speed,
but does it tell time?

At the same time, the watch will also monitor driver health, such as heart rate. In Nissan's photo, the watch gives its wearer a warning after noting an excessive heart rate.

The watch band appears to connect around the wrist in one, solid piece, encasing the actual watch mechanism. That style looks designed to prevent damage. Charged through a micro-USB port, Nissan notes the battery will last for seven days.

Nissan is considering future additions to its smart watch technology, including electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, and skin temperature monitoring.

The Nissan Nismo Watch Concept will be on display at the Frankfurt auto show. Nissan offered no information on availability or pricing.