A Control System and Stats for Your Car. We Helped Create the Smartdrive.IO System for AvtoVAZ and Mitsubishi
Element is our smart system that enables cars to be controlled remotely. It was made for Smart Driving Labs. The app runs on iOS and Android.
4.1
the average rating on Google Play
3 years
of work
More than 5,000 downloads
on Google Play
Task
A customer buys a new car. They are worried it might get stolen or damaged, so they need safety assurance.
The owner also wants the car to stay in good working order and last as long as possible. They look for ways to pay less for repairs and car insurance and save on gasoline.
The buyer wants to control their car from a distance, e.g., preheat the interior, or open the doors or trunk.
A taxi service owner hires drivers and provides them with cars. The owner wants to monitor the location and condition of the cars. They also need to know whether the drivers are driving carefully.
Solution
We came up with a smart car management system called Element. It helps you monitor the car’s condition and collects statistics on driving patterns.
It also allows you to control the car from a distance, save money on CASCO insurance, and optimize the cost of gasoline and car repairs.
You can install the Element system on a device intended for the car. It comes with a mobile app. Element allows the owner to monitor the car condition.
The system is offered by AvtoVAZ and Mitsubishi, but it can also be used by other car manufacturers.
The buyer simply needs to register the car at the dealer, install the device in the car and download the app. It has separate accounts for the car’s owner and temporary driver who could be renting it or using it as a company vehicle.
You can link several cars to the account, which would be convenient for car fleets, for example.
Development Process
The app took three years to develop. The client did the backend on their own and outsourced the mobile app. We were given clear instructions to follow.
First, we tested the app without a car. Then the project manager and the analyst tested it on a car. After that, the client did their own testing and presented the results to the management.
The Hardest Part
Initially, there were no terms of reference from the client. They communicated information on changes in specification, design and business logic as we worked on the project.
The backend was on the client’s side, so whenever their programmer rewrote something, we had to adjust. Such constant changes led to small bugs in the app.
How we solved these tasks
We agreed on how to pass the specification data. As soon as we received the information from the client, we tweaked the app. After that, we tested its performance on a test car.
Yuri Egorov
“We realized how important it is to have thoroughly prepared terms of reference: it helps to avoid small bugs and the subsequent fixes that take time and effort. That is why the client started giving us detailed instructions for their other projects“
Technology Stack
Language: Java, Kotlin
Dagger 
Databinding 
AAC (Android Architecture Components)
Material Components (Material Design)RxJava, RxJava2
Retrofit
Room
Glide
SwiftUI KitRxSwift
FirebaseAlamofireResults
The client loved the final result. The app has been downloaded more than 5,000 times on Google Play alone, with the average user rating of 4.1 stars. There are English and Portuguese versions for English-speaking countries and Brazil.
We have also created another app for Smart Driving Labs called Lada Granta Connect.
The system collects data on driving habits. It gives advice on how to drive more carefully and consume less gasoline. You can submit the report to the insurance company and get a discount on CASCO.
