Photo: Nimit N / Pexels
CR DRIVE is a Kazakhstani HealthTech startup from Aktobe that monitors driver fatigue using smartwatches and artificial intelligence. The project was founded by 15-year-old student Gainulla Nuraly. In late October, CR DRIVE took third place at the National Founder Cup in Astana. The company says it is now testing its system with three fleet operators in Aktobe and discussing a partnership with Kazpost.
How CR DRIVE began
The idea came after a friend of Gainulla’s was in a crash involving a bus. He began researching road safety and noticed an imbalance: technology has long been able to monitor speed, routes and vehicle condition, while far less attention is paid to the driver’s condition.
“Our main difference is that we use biometric sensors and artificial intelligence instead of constant video surveillance,” the founder says.
How the CR DRIVE system works
The driver wears a smartwatch. The team assembles and configures the devices using components from a supplier, then connects them to its platform. AI analyses pulse, heart rhythm, heart rate variability and other available readings. The system builds an individual profile for each driver and looks for changes that could indicate increased fatigue.
Data is sent to the platform in real time. According to the company, under current testing conditions, the delay is around one second with a stable connection.
If the system detects signs of fatigue, the watch vibrates to alert the driver. If the signs persist, a dispatcher receives a notification and can contact the driver. Drivers have a mobile app, while dispatchers use a web platform with readings and a map of trips.
The team is also developing an experimental technology to assess glucose levels non-invasively for drivers with diabetes. The developers stress that the algorithm is at the research stage and requires medical validation.
Fatigue alert on the CR DRIVE watch and the dispatcher panel · Photo: CR DRIVE
CR DRIVE app: driver profile · Photo: CR DRIVE
CR DRIVE app: monitored trip · Photo: CR DRIVE
Who CR DRIVE is for and how much it costs
The team’s main target customers are bus fleet operators and transport companies. It plans to expand to logistics companies, freight operators and taxi fleets.
According to the company, preliminary pricing is 45,000 tenge per device and 3,000 tenge per month per driver. The subscription includes platform access, AI analysis of biometric data and the alert system. The $120 price on the project’s website refers to an early version of the offer; the website is being updated. The team is considering offering equipment on a subscription basis to large fleet operators.
Pilot tests and figures
According to the company, CR DRIVE has conducted more than 20 pilot tests with drivers working for fleet operators in Aktobe. The team surveyed 300 drivers and staff across three fleet operators: 85% said fatigue was a pressing issue, and 91% said they would be willing to use the system.
After the National Founder Cup in Astana, the team met a Kazpost representative who expressed interest in the project. The two sides are now discussing a possible partnership.
CR DRIVE website and dispatcher panel · Photo: CR DRIVE
The CR DRIVE team
- Gainulla Nuraly, 15, is the founder and lead developer. He is in Grade 10 at Akbobek International School in Aktobe. He is responsible for strategy, partner negotiations, pilot testing and fundraising.
- Adlet Zhylkaman is a software engineer.
- Nurtas Nurkashev is a designer and engineer.
The team also includes specialists in software, artificial intelligence, hardware and platform design.
Gainulla Nuraly, founder of CR DRIVE · Photo: CR DRIVE
Adlet Zhylkaman, software engineer · Photo: CR DRIVE
Nurtas Nurkashev, designer and engineer · Photo: CR DRIVE
CR DRIVE’s plans
Over the next six months, the team aims to complete the main technical refinements, make the devices more reliable, improve the algorithms and expand pilot testing. It also plans to test fatigue detection accuracy on a larger scale and continue its glucose research.
Within 12 months, CR DRIVE aims to be ready for a commercial launch, bring its first paying corporate customers on board and expand into other regions of Kazakhstan. Its long-term plans include entering the Central Asian market.
The project currently needs: – investment in device development and production; – transport companies to take part in pilot tests; – technology partners.
“For us, third place at the National Founder Cup was an important achievement, and the chance to tell a wider audience about CR DRIVE was another step towards developing the project,” says Gainulla Nuraly.
The project’s website is cr-drive.pages.dev, and its Instagram account is @kr.drivee. Read more about the National Founder Cup final in Astana, where CR DRIVE placed third, in the article about competition winner Sator.
