There's never a bad time to hit the roads with your friends. But the idea of planning a road trip can be really daunting, especially if you're not prepared. I am not really into road trips, but from what I've heard from people who're really into it, one of the main issues is figuring out a way to log everything and finding other passionate riders to help you out.
There are multiple ways to do it. While some prefer the old school method of logging everything by hand, others are constantly on the lookout for something to take care of things automatically. And that's where the new KogoBot enters.
Kogo is an Indian startup founded by some hardcore travelers who are always on the road. Imagine a group of bikers on road riding heavy-duty machines. Yes, Kogo was founded by two such travelers in an effort to solve some head-scratching issues.
I was recently invited by the folks at Kogo to check out their new device, which they claim can take care of logging your trips and give you a curated summary. All you have to do is carry the device with you, and hit the start button on the app. The rest is taken care of by the device and its companion app
The KogoBot caught my attention mainly because it sounded like a dedicated community for travelers. Think of it like Fitbit for fitness enthusiasts. You log your activities and everybody in your circle gets to know what you're up to. Kogo is exactly like that and then some.
A High-end Tracking Device
The experience of using Kogo is sort of incomplete without the device i.e. the KogoBot. It's this rugged-looking device that stays with you when you're on the road. It tracks everything from the route that you're taking and how fast you're riding or driving.
It has a dedicated GPS and multiple sensors to map out the journey. The KogoApp takes the data captured by the device and uses artificial intelligence to automatically create stories as the person travels. It's particularly interesting because it's all about gamifying your experience with rewards along the way. They've also partnered with some brands to offer you discounts on things like fuel, food, and more.
As I mentioned before, the KogoBot is small enough to fit in your backpack or your riding gear. You can also attach it on your bike or the car and forget about it. With that, you can actually slap it on someone's car or bike without them even knowing and kind of monitor them and see where they're going. Well, that's an ideal use case for this product, so let's not go there.
Kogo says it has got unmatched accuracy, seven days of battery with heavy usage, and up to 10 days of data even when there is no network. It also comes with IP certification, so you don't have to worry about weather conditions too. During my usage i.e. the short trip which we took from Jodhpur to Khimsar by road, I'd say it managed to track pretty well. I can't speak about the battery life just yet, but I started my trip with 60 percent battery and it still had the same amount of charge when I ended the trip three hours later.
A Dedicated App To Curate Stories
It's hard to talk about Kogo without mentioning the app. I'd even say the app is what makes Kogo appealing, to begin with. It's available on both Android and iOS, and you can download it for free. However, you'll need a subscription to reap the full benefits of everything that it offers.
Kogo is all about automated content creation. You keep your eyes on the road and leave the content part to Kogo. So, the app takes all the necessary data from the device and uses AI to automatically write amazing stories as you travel, live. It's really good for people who don't necessarily get time to log everything while traveling.
The best part is that it even detects your pit stop along the route and asks you why you stopped, so it can create content accordingly. You also have the option to add pictures and videos and create what Kogo calls a "moment". It works surprisingly well. Here's a quick screenshot of the app to give you a better idea of what I am talking about.
It's the app that is also useful if you want to, say, travel to a completely new location and don't know anything about the place. You can discover people who're either traveling through the place currently or have been there before. You can simply go and check out their trip to figure out your plan. That's what I really like about the Kogo app.
Should You Buy It?
If you're into traveling, then yes. Honestly, I was a little skeptical about the product itself at first because there's nothing that you can't do on a smartphone these days. I do most of my work on a phone, so it made little to no sense to me. But after seeing what the KogoBot and the app can do, I am ready to recommend it.
It works brilliantly to curate all the data in one place and weave meaningful stories around it. And I've been told that the experience is only going to be better over time when they manage to iron out the existing issues and add new ones.
To start using Kogo, you'll have to shell out a hefty Rs 7,749 which comes with a year of free subscription to use the app. You'll also get an Airtel SIM to use it. So that's all being taken care of. But the price is still a little too high in my opinion, which is why it's something that I'll recommend only if you have been bitten by the travel bug and want a dedicated place for all your travel data and memories.
You can check out Kogo here.