This App Acts As A Social-media Savvy AI-enabled Storyteller For Your Rides!

Let’s face it, as human beings, we are all intrinsically wired to socialise with others. In recent years, the internet and social media have completely transformed the way we share our experiences. However, satisfying this basal urge while travelling becomes a little tricky. So a Delhi-based startup called Kogo Tech Labs has come up with a novel way to solve this conundrum: an app and an AI-enabled device called Kogo Bot. We caught up with the co-founder and CEO of the brand, Raj K Gopalakrishnan, to get an idea of what it’s all about:

What exactly does the app and Bot combo do?

At its core, the Kogo app is a bit like any other social media application -- where there’s a feed of other users’ posts, their trip details and the likes. Raj says that Kogo is essentially an automatic storytelling platform for those who travel. To explore its full potential, you’ll need to use both the app and the Bot. All you need to do is enter your destination in the app and get going. The Bot locates you using GPS and the app senses wherever you are and offers an AI-created picture postcard called Go Card which can either be shared automatically or with manual intervention. It essentially memorialises your travel in the form of a travelogue of sorts.

Citing an example, Raj says that if the user is riding to Delhi, all he/she needs to do is to enter the destination into the app. It will then automatically create a curated title and description of the place you’re heading to. The app also generates all the relevant hashtags and will keep creating content in real time as the user travels. If the user takes a break for fuel or food, the app will prompt the user to select the petrol pump or the restaurant where the user has stopped, and the relevant information will be integrated into the story. It can also take a copyright-free image and add it to the story if the user misses capturing a photo.

Raj adds that the app is intelligent enough to help its user sync only the trip-related photos captured by his or her smartphone during the outing using metadata like timestamps and GPS stamps. It can even take into account other trip-related metadata like weather, temperature and time to give context to the content so that it’s as authentic and as realistic as it can get. According to Raj, what makes this content sharing a lot easier is that there is only tapping of the relevant options involved, so the user does not have to waste time typing a caption or a description. That said, if the user wishes to edit the content, it can also be done as all the Go Cards are editable. The content can be modified after it has been posted online as well.

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For video-savvy users, the app can also automatically make a short video slideshow for about 5 seconds, called ‘Moments,’ with the relevant pictures and copyright-free audio. The length of the video also varies depending on the length of the trip. For example, a one-day video will run for about 15-18 seconds while a video for the entire trip will run 59 seconds at the most. That way, it is ensured that all the content is social-media friendly and shareable to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the likes.

But what happens when the user travels through a no-network area?

While the GPS coordinates sensed by the Bot isn’t dependent on mobile phone signals, the app needs an internet connection to upload data. Raj says that if the user travels through an area where there is no internet, the Bot stores the data and releases it whenever there is connectivity. The bot can store data for up to 20 days of offline content. It does not have a ‘memory card’ per se as the location data is saved as geo packets.

Is the Bot rugged? Does it have an SOS function?

The Bot has a waterproof rating of IP67. It comes with a 6000mAh battery which ensures the device stays on for 7-8 days with around 8 hours of usage. Since the GPS module in the Bot only receives information in a one-way satellite connection, it does not have SOS functionality. Raj says that for SOS feature, the device should be able to transmit data via satellite, which, unfortunately, is not legal in India.

When will it be available and what’s the pricing?

They will be launched this month on both iOS and Android, where y view other users’ content for free. The Bot can be ordered via Kogo’s official website. There will also be about 200 outlets across the country where one can buy the Bot. The device comes with a one-year warranty.

Kogo will offer an introductory pricing of Rs 7,750 (inclusive of all taxes) for the first year. This includes the Kogo bot, the subscription for the app, SIM card inside the bot and the data which the bot will transmit during its usage for that time period. From the second year onwards, the app subscription will cost Rs 1,399 a year for creating content using the bot. That said, you can still view other users' content for free.