Toyota invented a Bluetooth enabled device called the Smart Key Box that allows users to unlock and launch their car's car using just their smartphone.
The device is a pilot and is more for the car-sharing market. Imagine a car owner who wants to borrow his car for a fee.
He can install the Smart Key Box on his car dashboard without having to make any further modifications.
The tenant sends a code through an application to be able to access the device. When the renter's smartphone is near a vehicle, the codes are validated via Bluetooth, procedure similar to smart car keys.
The time and period that the user can access the Smart Key Box is configured and managed by Toyota, which is based on the rental time of the vehicle.
Toyota plans to release this new technology for testing next year, on a limited pilot scale in San Francisco, in partnership with a peer-to-peer car-sharing service called Getaround. And according to Rauters, last weekteam, Getaround received a $10 million investment from a fund controlled by Toyota.
The fund mainly spends money for artificial intelligence and robotics, but the investment in Getaround is a sign that Toyota is interested in expanding into the car-sharing market.
As far as the pilot test is concerned, only the people who own the new Prius or any Lexus model can participate in it.
