Drivetime
Earlier this week, a startup called Drivetime raised $11m to continue developing interactive, voice-based games for car drivers.
The San Francisco-based startup, which was only founded in 2018, advertises its hands-free entertainment products as a way for drivers to “beat boredom” on long trips… and to do it safely.
It’s like going on a road trip with Alex Trebek
For $10 a month, Drivetime’s voice recognition-powered games give drivers an immersive entertainment alternative to music or podcasts.
Drivetime’s most recent game is a hands-free version of Jeopardy. The company also offers a program called Storytime (an interactive audiobook) and a daily trivia game.
But it’s not just fun… it’s also safe
Hands-free voice games don’t just prevent drivers from dangerous boredom-busters like absentminded scrolling, they actively help drivers pay attention: Studies have shown that “alertness maintaining tasks” allow drivers to stay more focused.
A number of startups are building systems to monitor drowsy drivers.
But Drivetime goes a step further — and actively prevents drivers from becoming drowsy in the first place. And if it continues to succeed, it’s likely that other companies will follow Drivetime’s lead.