The License Plate May Soon Become Digital

 

Reviver is a start up with heavyweights like the chairman of Microsoft on its Board of Directors.  It’s determined to make the license plate digital and connected. Reviver says the license plate hasn’t changed in 125 years, so it’s pushing it into the 21st century by turning it into a digital display and connecting it to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

It’s rPlate is an Internet of Things device that could allow automated registering at the DMV so you can skip the lines and it would also allow telematics, tracking, fleet management and even “hyper local” advertising (when parked).

And it could be sold as an aftermarket device at retailers including brick and mortar retailers, said a Reviver spokesman.

The company has received over $6.8 million in funding, and has already won patents on its technology platform, so this isn’t a shoestring Kickstarter operation.

“The rPlate is the first ever ‘fifth screen’ or digital signage platform to grace the back of a vehicle and can be installed as an aftermarket product or seamlessly integrated directly into the design of the vehicle,” said Allan Cooper, Partner, Reviver. “It can display hyper-local targeted messages to a captive audience when a vehicle is legally parked in any location.

“One example is the opportunity for auto retailers to use the rPlate to display customized messaging – such as the brand they sell, a lease payment specific to vehicle models, or a sponsored community event or charity on service loaner vehicles and company vehicles,” continued Cooper.

Smart messages on the rPlate could change automatically when it’s in a different geographic location.

Reviver has also incorporated programming for emergency broadcasts like extreme weather warnings and Amber Alerts, as well as VIN-specific recall notifications, into its digital display. The rPlate can also automate the payment of toll road charges, parking fees and more.

The rPlate includes a GPS receiver, accelerometer, RF sensors, CAN bus access, and memory storage.  It is built to withstand all weather conditions.  It has an anti-glare screen that’s viewable in sunshine or foul weather and it measures the same size as a standard license plate.

It can connect to cloud apps and Reviver has an open platform for third party app developers.

rPlate has won the approval of state legislators in California and Florida, preliminary approval from Arizona’s DMV and Department of Transportation, and legislation is in progress in Texas. Prototype rPlates are already operational in California, and Reviver plans to launch the rPlate in all four states by the end of 2017.  Pricing will be announced later this year.

You can see a YouTube video of the rPlate here.

 

Source: CE Outlook

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