A prototype is a preliminary model of something. Projects that offer physical products need to show backers documentation of a working prototype. This gallery features photos, videos, and other visual documentation that will give backers a sense of what’s been accomplished so far and what’s left to do. Though the development process can vary for each project, these are the stages we typically see:
Proof of Concept
Explorations that test ideas and functionality.
Functional Prototype
Demonstrates the functionality of the final product, but looks different.
Appearance Prototype
Looks like the final product, but is not functional.
Design Prototype
Appearance and function match the final product, but is made with different manufacturing methods.
Production Prototype
Appearance, function, and manufacturing methods match the final product.
Prototype Gallery
These photos and videos provide a detailed look at this project’s development.
Chris is a no touch device designed for drivers. State-of-the-art speech recognition combines with remarkably simple gesture control to make Chris comfortable to operate at the wheel.
Chris listens and talks to you, just like a friend. It's the safest and most convenient way to stay connected while driving. All key information is visible on the color screen so you can put your smartphone safely out of reach. With Chris you don’t have to lift a finger to stay connected.
Chris is built with Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing. What’s the big deal? Chris listens and talks to you. And the more you interact, the better it works. The best part though: Chris actively lets you know when new messages hit your inbox, or when traffic changes and much more. Connect the dots of your digital life while you drive.
Chris notifies you when you get a new Facebook message, WhatsApp, SMS or Email and then reads it out to you. You can reply or start a new conversation without touching your smartphone – you stay in contact and your hands stay on the wheel.
Chris features a unique, voice controlled hands-free system, so making and receiving calls in the car has never been easier. High quality microphones ensure the best possible audio quality too. With Chris, your address book is now comfortable to flick through. The number of contacts is unrestricted - just say the name or browse through your lists with a swipe of your hand.
Chris plays the music you love. Online from Spotify, Apple Music and Google Music or offline from your phone. Scroll through playlists, play, pause and change songs - operated by voice and gestures.
Chris finds you the best route and keeps you up-to-date with real-time traffic information. Enter your destination, change route and take every turn to reach your goal thanks to Chris. You’ll also have gas stations, parking lots, restaurants and other points of interest highlighted. Don´t worry about phone connectivity either, the navigation works offline too.
For most people, cars are the extension of their homes. It’s a private space to escape the bustle of every day life. Chris has a timeless, human design with an iconic round screen and a high-end aluminium ring around the display. It is a smart, beautiful object that seamlessly blends into the interior of your car.
Chris is designed to work by plug & play. Get into the car and simply click it into its mount.
The first-time installation is quick and simple: Either place Chris on the dashboard or on the windshield using the suction cup mount and follow the setup instructions. Once connected to your smartphone and your car audio you are ready to go. It works in any car and with any modern smartphone, both iOS and Android.
You will find the following items in the package, so you instantly have Chris along for your next drive.
Chris
Suction cup mount for windshield and dashboard
Charging cable (USB 2.0 A to Micro USB)
12V car charger for the cigarette lighter
Free Chris app for Android and iPhone (download)
Technical Details
Size: 3.9’’ x 3.6’’ x 3.8’’ / 10.0 x 9.2 x 9.6 cm
Weight: 6.4 oz / 182 g
2.1 '' TFT LCD color display
Built-in voice-optimized speaker
Digital MEMS microphone group
High-resolution gesture sensor
Li-ion battery 1 week battery life (stand-by), 1h (operation)
FM transmitter 76MHz ~ 108MHz
Bluetooth 4.0 + LE
Connections: Micro USB (power)
Temperature range -40 ° C to + 85 ° C
System Requirements
Chris requires a Bluetooth enabled smartphone.
Android 4.4 or higher / iOS 10 or higher
12V plug socket (cigarette lighter) or USB port to charge the built-in rechargeable battery
Some features require a data connection on your smartphone
Chris is certified for use in all cars and is manufactured by ISO certified manufacturers.
Chris is rigorously tested both in the lab and out on the roads before being shipped to our backers. To start off we focused on a selection of key apps to fine tune the implementation. But software & firmware updates happen regularly, and you don’t need to go to a service station or pay a fee to get them - online-updates are easy and free.
Chris was dreamed up in Berlin, Germany, and Palo Alto, California. Our leadership team consists of experienced automotive experts, entrepreneurs and developers. We all previously led our own companies or worked as department heads and created German Autolabs with a shared vision of the revolutionary potential of Chris, the first ever digital co-driver. You can be part of our journey. Be among the first to install this new technology in your car!
FINALLY: A BIG THANK YOU FROM THE WHOLE TEAM - YOU ROCK, KICKSTARTER!
Risks and challenges
One set of risks are timeline risks. Parts can arrive late, difficult software problems take longer to solve than planned, or tests can show that another version is needed before shipping. In order to minimize these risks, we are working with experts in their fields, be it natural language processing, hardware engineering, mechanical engineering or software engineering, collectively, we have shipped hundreds of technological products in the last 15 years. To manage any remaining timeline risks we have built some buffers into the project plan, and we are tracking progress against the SoP on a daily basis. If we incur any delays whatsoever we will let you know.
Specific areas of technical risk in our product: highly complex Bluetooth implementation, complex and challenging requirements for mechanical design and audio signal processing in relation to speech recognition and hands-free telephony, the display, FM receiving and transmission capabilities and the wide universe of speech recognition and dialog management challenges.
We are working tirelessly to make Chris happen. we know what it takes, and we will keep you posted along the way. Furthermore, we are 100% committed to shipping Chris to you on time, and to delivering a great experience from the day you receive it.
LIMITED OFFER - TWO DAYS ONLY: 1x Chris with 2x vacuum sucker mount incl. cabling and charger - you save additional 35 EUR / approx. 37.5 USD. GLOBAL SHIPMENT AVAILABLE!
Support us now and select this reward to receive one (1x) Chris at a special discount of 33% off Future Retail Price with two (2x) car mount kits - the second vacuum sucker mount incl. cable and charger is free. Perfect for everyone with more than one car.
KING OF THE ROAD: Meet the team and get your own wake-up word!
Support us now and select this reward to receive two (2x) Chris - handed over by the team & founders in person. Flight is not included, but we will take care of a great accomodation while you visit us for two days in our Berlin office!
On top of this you´ll have the chance to define YOUR OWN WAKE-UP WORD!
Perfect for AI enthusiasts, developers and product design nerds.
