Israeli App CARMA Rewards Safe Driving With Discounts
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Israeli students have developed CARMA, an app that rewards safe driving by tracking behavior via smartphone sensors and offering redeemable points for discounts. The app achieved 89% accuracy in tests and also provides a platform for businesses to manage rewards and reach new customers.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- CARMA, an Israeli app, rewards safe driving with discounts.
- It uses smartphone sensors to track driving behavior.
- The app achieved 89% accuracy in identifying driving events.
- Drivers earn points redeemable at participating businesses.
- A business platform allows reward management and customer acquisition.
Four students from Tel Aviv-Yafo Academic College's School of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence have developed CARMA, a new mobile application designed to incentivize safe driving through positive reinforcement. The app, guided by instructor Dror Margalit and developed by students Naveh Tsvig, Sean Faber, Dan Ofri, and Mai Hajbi, recently won first place in the school's final project competition. CARMA utilizes a smartphone's existing sensors to monitor driving behavior, detecting actions such as mobile phone use while driving, speeding, sudden braking, aggressive acceleration, and sharp turns.
During testing on urban and intercity routes, the system demonstrated an impressive 89% accuracy in identifying driving events while consuming approximately 6% of battery per hour of use. Upon completing a trip, drivers receive a score from 0 to 100, along with a breakdown of detected events and personalized feedback to help them improve their habits. The app's core innovation lies in its economic incentive model: drivers accumulate points based on their driving performance, which can be redeemed for discounts and benefits at participating businesses.
To complete the ecosystem, the team also created a platform for businesses to manage these rewards, track their redemption, and gain exposure to a new customer base. This creates a mutually beneficial system where drivers are motivated to drive safely by tangible rewards, and businesses gain a unique marketing channel that links commercial activity with positive social impact.