Hamid Abdollahi thinks his startup has the solution to creating safer self-driving cars. betakit
Hamid Abdollahi, who co-founded Recon Instruments and made a name in the wearable tech industry, is now focusing on a new venture. After leaving Recon, known for its smart glasses and wearable displays, Abdollahi has launched Matt3r, a company aiming to enhance autonomous driving technology.
This summer, Matt3r introduced K3y, a device designed to upgrade Tesla vehicles’ cameras into a smart dashcam system. This device records key driving events like hard braking and honks, making it easy for drivers to access this data through their smartphones.
Reflecting on his journey, Abdollahi recalls how, in 2008, he and his team began developing heads-up displays (HUDs) for sports eyewear at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. Their innovation led to the creation of Recon Instruments, which became a pioneer in wearable tech. In 2010, Recon launched its first HUD, ahead of Google Glass, offering real-time data like speed and altitude to athletes. The company continued to grow, eventually being acquired by Intel in 2015. However, Intel closed Recon’s division two years later.
Despite Recon’s closure, Abdollahi’s career continued. He became involved in Vancouver’s tech scene with ventures like Novarc Technologies, a welding robotics company, and Ignite Ventures, a tech incubator. His work at Ignite focused on telematics and AI, which eventually led him to establish Matt3r in 2021.
Matt3r’s flagship product, K3y, aims to capture valuable data from real-world driving scenarios. The device transforms Tesla’s cameras into comprehensive dashcams, providing a 360-degree view of trips and recording significant driving events. This data is intended to help developers improve autonomous driving systems by offering insights into various road conditions and driving behaviours.
For example, in Vancouver, the K3y could record complex scenarios like those at the Lion’s Gate Bridge, where multiple lanes merge and interact with a bus lane. This type of data is crucial for refining self-driving technology.
The K3y system works by connecting to a vehicle’s existing cameras and sending footage to Matt3r’s mobile app, Consol3. This app allows users to view footage from different camera angles and flag significant events. The data collected can be useful not only for individual drivers but also for companies managing large fleets, helping with insurance claims and asset protection.
As the technology progresses, Matt3r hopes to work with regulators and developers to streamline research and development for autonomous vehicles. Abdollahi envisions Matt3r becoming a key player in providing fleet data to autonomous driving developers, helping them scale their systems across various locations.
Matt3r, currently in its data collection phase, is preparing to launch K3y and is also seeking seed financing to support its growth. Abdollahi is deeply committed to advancing autonomous driving technology, viewing it as a natural extension of his previous work with Recon Instruments.
