Ann Arbor, Mich., June 5, 2006 - Drivaware® Inc. today announced the production release and immediate availability of  its debut driver awareness product: LaneFX™.  LaneFX™ is an innovative automotive product that transforms a vehicle's power side mirrors into an on-demand Active Blind Spot Exposure System.

Whenever a turn signal is activated, or at the press of a button, LaneFX™ moves the corresponding power mirror outward to sweep and expose the vehicle’s blind spot. It pauses long enough for the driver to scan for any objects that may be lurking in the blind spot zone. Then, it reliably returns the power side mirror back to its original, driver-set position.

LaneFX™’s Patent Pending technology is designed from the ground up to be entirely universal. LaneFX™ works with any vehicle equipped with power mirrors, new or pre-owned, domestic or import, including the most ECU-intensive and multiplexed vehicles on the market today. LaneFX™ is packed with driver awareness features and is highly-customizable to the driver’s preferences. Drivers can personalize how far each mirror expands, how long it pauses, and how fast it should move altogether. All customizations can be made separately to the driver-side and passenger-side power mirrors.
Kal Malhas, Drivaware Founder & President said: “According to NHTSA, 1 out of 25 collisions on America’s highways today is due to improper lane changes/merges. Further, J.D. Power & Associates has reported that blind spot systems were the second-most requested automotive technology by consumers in 2005. We recognized that the driver awareness / lane change segment is gaining significant momentum. As a result, we designed LaneFX™ as a sensor-less blind spot exposure system that is truly universal and that we can drive through multiple channels including: auto dealers, mobile electronics / aftermarket retailers, as well as the OEM and tier-1 supplier channel.”

"We're always looking for added revenue opportunities from a every vehicle sale." says Jeff Scott, Principal and General Manager, Dick Scott Automotive Group based in metro Detroit, Mich., “it’s always challenging to introduce aftermarket products after a customer has decided on a vehicle. We signed on with the LaneFX™ Pilot Dealer Program because I was impressed with how simply the product can be demonstrated to vehicle buyers and how quickly our customers see value in its impact on their daily commute.”

"We've all been taught to turn our heads away from the traffic ahead to check our blind spot. During an average blind spot check, a vehicle travels more than half of a football field, unattended!” adds Kal Malhas, “With LaneFX™, we allow drivers to stay focused on the road ahead while showing the contents of their blind spot zone using a comfortable, familiar interface: The vehicle’s side mirror.”

In recently-announced OEM blind spot detection systems (such as Valeo Raytheon Systems’ Detector and Volvo’s BLIS™ systems), a computer and a sensor make the critical decision on whether an object is present in the blind spot zone. Further, such systems report these results through an interface that is entirely new to the driver. In contrast, LaneFX™ is a blind spot exposure system, not a detector. LaneFX™ simply exposes the contents of the blind spot zone to drivers allowing them to make their own informed driving decisions. By using the vehicle’s power side mirror, drivers use a familiar interface that has no learning curve as it is already associated with the act of changing lanes. 

LaneFX™ is available now through select auto dealers, aftermarket retailers and directly through LaneFX.com. The current production release of the LaneFX™ product line features a number of Patent Pending innovations, including:

1. Mirror Speed Boost: safely accelerates power mirror motor speeds up to 200% of OEM speed for maximum responsiveness,

2. Turn Signal Link: with “Normal” and “Sticky” turn signal modes to suit any driving style,

3. Merge Mode: holds a mirror outward for as long as the driver needs to merge into traffic,

4. Intelligent Installs Technology: LaneFX™ can self-learn the electrical configuration of the host vehicle with no need for complex programming,

5. ParkFX - Park Assist & Curb Exposure System: tilts one or both side mirrors downwards when the vehicle is engaged in reverse, and

6. “Mirror-in-Motion” LED indicators.

Media Contacts:
Kimberly Simpson
Drivaware Inc.
866-4-LANEFX
kimberly.simpson@drivaware.com

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