Volkswagen's Smartwatch Will Make Hands-Free Driving Safer

The device with its sensors, including an accelerometer and/or position sensor, can be further set up to respond to specific driving scenarios or even individual drivers. For instance, some drivers may reliably respond quickly to taking over driving duties from the car, whereas others may be consistently slower to do so. The device can account for this with a different threshold value for each driver so that autonomous functions are activated or deactivated at precisely the right moment.

Other factors can also influence how long a driver takes to resume operation of the vehicle, such as a particularly bumpy road. Heavy vibrations can delay the driver's ability to resume operation of the vehicle, but the device's vibration sensor can once again pick up on this and send the relevant data to the car.

The wearable device's ability to interpret data can be improved when used in conjunction with vehicle cameras. If, for instance, the car is approaching a traffic jam, the device/camera may determine that a more immediate resumption of driver control is needed than usual. If necessary, braking can be initiated automatically when the sensors and/or cameras determine that the handover to the driver won't be completed quickly enough.

Despite VW's mention of Level 2 autonomy only, we can see how this wearable device could prove valuable at Level 3. VW itself said that the jump from Level 2 to Level 3 autonomy "is the largest technically speaking," as the vehicle can take over many more functions but requires driver intervention when necessary. In an interview with Inverse, Missy Cummings - a former senior safety advisor to the NHTSA - expressed concerns about whether drivers will be adequately prepared to take back control "both physically and emotionally," as they could easily rely too heavily on the car's automated systems.

If VW's design does what it says and can more accurately account for drivers who react quickly relative to those who don't, it could be one solution to the challenges of Level 3 autonomy. It's why Level 3 autonomy has taken so long to come to America, with Mercedes being the first to introduce the tech in America on its S-Class and EQS.

The other challenge is this: How many drivers will be willing to go through the effort of strapping a watch to their arm before each journey or quickly putting on a small ring when you're in a hurry? And if the device isn't worn, will some of the more advanced driver-assistance features simply not be accessible at all, or will they work less effectively?

There are as many questions as there are answers, and although VW's device may still be far from finding its way into your next ID.4 crossover, at least the automaker is acknowledging some of the shortcomings of current driver-monitoring systems and how they work with semi-autonomous vehicles, and searching for solutions that will ultimately create a more pleasant, safer commute.