Stuttgart, Germany / Las Vegas, NV, USA – To experience the benefits of ride-hailing in the shared economy, there is a shared accountability between driver and rider for a comfortable vehicle experience. To enable transparency and provide objectivity in the case of disputes, Bosch is introducing a new safety enhancement for ridesharing called RideCare companion.
RideCare companion is a connected smart camera for use by rideshare drivers that provides monitoring and transparency for ride-hailing. The solution enables accountability for both the driver and rider to deter unwanted behavior during ride-hailing experiences and enables fast, appropriate responses when there is an issue.
While the vast majority of rideshare trips are without incident, safety reports from rideshare industry leaders reported a relevant number of assaults over a several year period, even as ridesharing was down during the pandemic.
"What takes the Bosch RideCare companion beyond a simple dashcam is that it is paired with a service that provides active help by trained service center specialists when required," said Christoph Hartung, president of Cross-Domain Computing Solutions for Bosch.
The product, which was introduced for the first time at the CES® 2023, was honored as a CES® 2023 Innovation Awards Best of Innovation honoree in the In-Vehicle Entertainment & Safety category.
Rideshare drivers can drive easy knowing that all rides are monitored via the RideCare companion solution and uploaded securely to the cloud in case of events triggered. A lighting element on the front of the RideCare companion device lets drivers and riders know the service is active, creating peace-of-mind and a deterrence effect.
"As automated ride-share services continue to emerge, a solution like RideCare companion becomes even more relevant for passenger transparency and safety," Hartung said.
Designed for rideshare drivers
RideCare companion was designed with the needs of rideshare drivers at the forefront. Drivers seek timely and objective resolutions to potential disputes that might occur in the vehicle so they can maintain their reputation and be able to achieve their desired volume of rides by moving to the next ride.
To ensure the solution fits into the rideshare driver experience, Bosch is collaborating with Gridwise, a leading business app for rideshare and delivery drivers, to perform user research and validate product-market-fit. Gridwise provides insights to rideshare and delivery drivers to help them maximize their earnings and track their business performance all in one place.
Data from RideCare companion is handled securely from end-to-end. Data is encrypted on the device and securely stored in the cloud. Video data is documented with location and timestamp and can be used as proof in case of disputes. For both drivers and riders, data is handled according to the applicable data privacy regulations. Additionally, the device has multiple tamper-resistance features to support on-going operation during rides and uploading of ride data.
