Cars are really complex these days. Even simple vehicle-related tasks can be can be difficult if you’re not car-savvy and you need to follow the instructions in the ever-growing owner’s manual.
Hyundai’s augmented reality app helps idiot-proof car maintenance
To make life easier for its owners, Hyundai has built an augmented reality app called the Virtual Guide. It allows owners to use their phones to get more familiar with their cars and learn how to perform basic maintenance. I saw a demo of the app from Hyundai at CES and it works as advertised.
You can use the app to get an augmented reality view of the engine compartment or interior of the car, with floating digital dots illustrating different points of interest like the windshield washer bottle or the location of the air filter. Tap one of the dots and you can get an illustrated, step-by-step walkthrough of the related maintenance item or, if you’re inside the vehicle you can get a tutorial in how to use different functions of the car like pairing a phone with Bluetooth.
It’s a nice alternative to the owner’s manual from Hyundai and could help owners perform basic tasks without needing to delve into a multi-hundred page paper manual. It will be available in the next month or two for the 2015 and the 2016 Hyundai Sonata and will come to the rest of the Hyundai range later on.
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