Is This the Coolest Key Fob Ever Made?

The move from traditional keys to key fobs by the auto industry was meant to prioritize convenience and security. Whether or not that goal was achieved in reality is a matter of opinion. Cars that use key fobs are vulnerable to remote exploits by anyone with something like a Flipper Zero that has spent some time on questionable hacking websites. And have you ever had to figure out how to start your car when the battery in your key fob dies? What a pain!

In any case, whether you love them or hate them, key fobs appear to be here to stay. Ishwari Patil thinks that as long as we’re going to be using them anyway, we might as well make them fun. During a recent internship with Tata Motors, Patil came up with a concept called Playfob. Whether or not it will ever see the light of day in a production vehicle is not yet known, but I certainly hope it catches on. Playfob could make a believer out of any key fob hater out there.

In addition to being a fully functional key fob, Playfob also has a small, Game Boy-style grayscale display, D-pad, and buttons. As you’ve surely guessed by now, this turns boring key fobs into tiny arcades that you can play anywhere you go — as long as you're not driving, of course.

Gaming aside, the Playfob has some other really amazing features. If you have ever lost your car in a huge parking lot, then you will really appreciate that the device is capable of using an onboard GPS receiver to guide you directly to your car in no time. And if it’s pouring rain, there’s no need to get wet. That D-pad not only controls the action in games, but can also be used to remotely drive the vehicle. How’s that for an RC car?

That last feature may never get past the lawyers, but the gaming and GPS directions alone would make this the greatest key fob ever. Hopefully this idea will become more than just an experiment in the near future.