Founded by three ex Apple engineers, Pearl is looking to develop game-changing driver assistance tech with their first product being RearVision, an easy to set-up, solar-powered, rear backup camera system.
The system is not only meant to give drivers more confidence, but also to prove that you don’t have to buy a new car or a specific type of car in order to take advantage of the latest advancements in technology.
Co-Founder and CEO Bryson Gardner argues that “cars last longer than ever and are quickly left behind by the rapid pace of new technology. The industry’s ability to keep them up to date is fundamentally limited by 6-7 year design cycles and how few new cars are produced and bought every year. Historically new features, from airbags to antilock brakes, have taken 30-40 years to reach widespread adoption. The future will be no different, unless we re-think things.”
Their RearVision camera system can be installed in minutes, since it has no wires, and offers automatic updates and obstacle alerts. It uses dual HD cameras (one optimized for day, one IR-sensitive for night) with 1/3″ CMOS sensors and a 2.2 micron pixel size, offering the user a 175-degree field of view. It also comes with a phone mount and a car adapter, with which it is electronically paired. Your phone is also uniquely paired with the RearVision frame, meaning its very unlikely anybody would steal it since they wouldn’t be able to use it. A set of solar panels incorporated in the lower part of the frame power the camera system.
In terms of minimum requirements, you need an iPhone 5 (or newer) with iOS 9 (or newer) or an Android device with Bluetooth 4.0 and Lollipop 5.0 (or newer).
Also, those worried about weather damage should know that while the device is water-resistant, it is not waterproof. So while you don’t have to remove it under heavy rain conditions, submerging it fully wouldn’t be a very good idea.
However, the biggest caveat about the RearVision camera is the retail price on the company’s site, which stands at $499.99 (pre-order and only available in the USA), which is a hard pill to swallow even if it does do away with wires.
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