Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions has introduced a retrofit plug-in sensor device that delivers precise event data such as driving behaviour and crash detection for telematics, fleet management and insurance applications.
Introduced at the Telematics Conference Middle East & Africa 2019 in Dubai, UAE the Telematics Plug TEP120 easily plugs into a standard 12V car cigarette lighter socket. TEP was initially announced at CES 2018.
“The introduction of Telematics Plug TEP120 supports the road safety initiatives of the UAE government and the further development of Dubai and Abu Dhabi as smart cities”, said Dietrich Brunner, global sales manager Insurance Industry at Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions GmbH. “The eCall function detects the severity of a collision, provides driving analysis and enables faster emergency response times which will help preventing accidents in the country.”
In the year 2017, the Abu Dhabi & Dubai police in association with Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) had approved the set-up of emergency centres in the UAE to support the eCall system. The UAE is the first country in the Middle East to implement this initiative.
Data-based insurance
The TEP intelligently utilizes its built-in sensors and microcontroller to reliably and accurately track driving behaviour parameters such as acceleration, braking and cornering forces, then transmits this data to the driver's smartphone via Bluetooth. Bosch's long-term expertise in crash detection and airbag controllers guarantees high quality data, while the cost-efficiency of this new device makes it a very viable alternative to standard ‘black box’ or OBD-dongle solutions.
The collected data can be used to help improve safety by identifying aggressive driving behaviour and enables more personalized behaviour-based insurance, by rewarding safe drivers with discounts on premiums. The data can also help insurers to identify and reduce fraudulent claims. The device can build closer customer relationships through gamification and more frequent customer contact.
Improving automotive safety
The TEP’s eCall function uses acceleration sensors and intelligent embedded algorithms to detect car accident events and their severity. It communicates with the driver’s smartphone via Bluetooth. Accident alerts are sent to a call centre via smartphone.
The call centre can subsequently automatically and quickly contact the emergency response services – speeding up response times, potentially saving lives. In less extreme situations, the call centre can trigger roadside assistance.
Flexible and easy to implement
The TEP has three configurations: the eCall function only, the driving behaviour data only, or both functions. It neatly plugs into the standard 12V DC car outlet, making its retrofit installation quick and easy in any type of car. There is no connection to the car’s IT infrastructure, where any risk of hacking is eliminated.
Bosch also offers a Software Development Kit (SDK) for the TEP, which contains everything a Service Partner needs for the development of a retrofit automotive telematics solution. The SDK supports both Android and iOS operating systems, and makes communications between a smartphone app and the TEP straightforward, utilizing the benefits of the Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) platform. – TradeArabia News Service
Bosch launches plug-in to deliver driving data
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