While it probably won’t be long before back-up cameras become as standard as air conditioning – and may even become required in new cars, those of us with older models need not despair. Three engineers who met while working at Apple decided to form their own company, Pearl Auto, to solve the problem owners of older cars lament over.
Their brilliant adaptation to existing car hardware allows even the most mechanically inept to quickly install a rear camera ala a license plate frame. The cameras in the plate are solar powered and communicate wirelessly to your phone – so no wiring is needed.
The Pearl RearVision lets you see in in wide angle what is going on behind you. It has a companion app for iPhone and Android so you have a view of what’s going on right on your dash, as you would with a factory installed backup camera. It gives you audio cues as to how close you’re encroaching on hitting an object. Thanks to the two cameras onboard, you can toggle between wide and normal views.
Also with the RearVision kit, a car adapter that gets information from your car, including speed.
The Pearl RearVision is not cheap, but considering what it does, it’s a pretty low cost to giving your car a major upgrade. My only regret is that there is not a front facing plate frame with camera to go with it. While in bumper to bumper traffic, the views may be fairly low and miss some things as far as being a super effective dashcam, it would be very helpful for pulling into awkward spots where you think you might be about to scrape the bottom part of your car off on a high curb… but I have a hunch, this group is not done in the innovation department.
You can learn more about Pearl Auto by visiting their website, liking them on Facebook, following them on Twitter and checking them out on Instagram.