Bosch and Amazon Web Services cover drivers' caffeine boosts, on-the-road questions

LAS VEGAS — Bosch and Amazon Web Services are now covering drivers' caffeine boosts and on-the-road questions, looking to meet their gaze.

The two companies have partnered on in-vehicle technology that tracks drivers' eye movements and predicts — and acts on — their needs. The technology is launching at CES and available for automakers.

"Imagine you're on your way home from work or running errands and you are exhausted. What if your car could recognize that you're tired and automatically take action?" Wendy Bauer, vice president and general manager of automotive and manufacturing at Amazon Web Services, said at the Bosch press conference.

The combined technology recognizes the signs of a drowsy driver, such as drooping eyelids or unusual gaze movement, and can prepare a latte at the driver's house, timed so perfectly that the foam reaches the top of the mug just as the driver walks through the front door.

Drowsiness detection has been around for a decade with driver monitoring sensors, and now Bosch is seeking ways to use the technology for comfort features, Stefan Buerkle, regional president at Bosch, told Automotive News on the sidelines of the press conference.

Bosch and Amazon Web Services can also track drivers' eye movements to understand which sites or businesses are catching their eyes, then offer them information on it. A virtual assistant, such as Amazon Alexa, can tell the driver whether a restaurant is open or what's on the menu, for example.

The in-vehicle technology combines driver data with GPS data and Amazon Web Services cloud information to make suggestions to share with the driver.

The high-tech convenience feature has safety benefits, Buerkle said. While Bosch tends to consider safety technology before comfort technology, if a driver is missing comfort or convenience, it often becomes a safety issue, he said. Without such technology, drivers may pull out their smartphones to google information about a restaurant, taking their attention from the road.

"No one company can realize the future of mobility on its own," Tanja Rückert, member of the board of management for Robert Bosch, said at the press conference. "This is why it's so important that we collaborate across the industry."

With sensors designed for safety, Bosch now has more opportunities to improve the comfort side of the driver experience. The partnership with Amazon Web Services is just the beginning, Buerkle said.