Car of the future
Ben’s Bits – A plan to network enable your car — As long as you don’t have to reboot just before a crash.
On November 14 Network World published an article entitled “U.S. pitches wireless highway safety plan” which discussed the US DoT plan called the VII project. The Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) prject aims to reduce highway fatilities and improve congestion problems by transmitting warnings and road condition data to drivers and automobile computer systems via a 5.9 GHz short range (984 foot) wireless connection as you pass “Roadside Units” (RSUs). Data is gathered from your onboard computer and combined with GPS data, the data collection and transmittal is to be anonymous. You can read more about the proposed system on the concept of operations page.
One week later Network World published a second article entitled “GM to roll out intelligent car alternative” discussing the GM V2V plan based on the existing GM OnStar technology in combination with 802.11a/802.11p networking technology
If you haven’t heard about 802.11p then read this.
The 802.11p protocol, which enables motor-vehicle communications, is due to come before the executive committee of the IEEE (agenda) in Portland, Ore. this week.
The IEEE 802.11p Task Group was established for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE). The Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) is a general purpose communications link between the vehicle and the roadside (or between vehicles) using the 802.11p protocol. ABI estimates that this sort of vehicular communications could see initial expenditures of $1 billion shortly. ITS America stressed the need to support the adoption of a single nationwide standard in the FCC rules
The new 802.11p protocol, just months old, improves on the range and speed of transmission on the dedicated 5.9 GHz licensed band, promising around 1,000 feet and 6 Mbit/s in average use, say reports
Would all the cars just stop in the middle of the road to reestablish a signal after a dropout. I like to wardrive on the weekends, but this will take all the fun out of driving lefthanded while typing with the right. Will Cain crack my car? How about etherape? And the rivalry…I see it now WIFI car gangs vs. bluetooth car gangs. It will be like West Side Story without all the dancing.
In that old photo it appears Bill forgot his girdle, I mean back brace.
RTaylor, and his man-bra too.
The new technology will let the car apply the brake and stop itself.
You’ll be able to create an instant traffic jamb. If you stop suddenly in heavy traffic, all the cars behind you will stop automatically. A group of people with networked cars could gridlock an area while robbing a bank or store. The police would be stuck in the network traffic jamb. You could even engineer a networked path to flee the area in a car with no computer or use a get away train.
I’d like to see the dumbass that tries to tell me that this won’t be perverted and co-opted by crackers,cops, and spooks before even the first one roll off the assembly line.
Maybe we should start making a list now of technology that should NEVER have a computer or a network connect.
Here goes Pete.
The stapler.
Now
Staples are cheap, almost to the point of being free.
Stapler 2.0
New RFID staples are 20 cents each and some chick at a help desk blocks the road and truck drivers nearly run her over headed for LA with documents.
Desk chick: The staples knew.
Truck driver: Why don’t the staples drive the truck then?
Regarding Jim’s: “You’ll be able to create an instant traffic jamb.”
As far as I can tell, when I put on my brakes, all the cars behind me stop as well, networked/computerized or not.
As to the possiblity of the technology being “perverted and co-opted”, every technology can have both non-forseen and forseen consequences. (Gee, let’s get rid of all airtravel after 9/11). The safety and convenience factor of giving intelligence to our driving system far outweighs the negative consequences.
I always get a laugh when this forum gets all Luddite…
I hate to go all Lone Gunmen, but this is just another step towards letting big brother control everything.
I’m a Tech freak, and I want my car to have a network connection and satelite web and the rest. But I spent my youth learning how to make peoples CD trays open and their hard drives reformat. I DO NOT want the same ability to be applied to the controlls of my car!!!!!
Well, if it runs on M$ windoze it’ll give ppl an excuse as to why they crashed
Think what Al Qaeda could do with this. Indeed any EMP would probably knock out all the car computers anyway.
You guys are all sick pessimists..geez..where do you get this attitude?