Big Data: When Cars Can Talk

by Jeff Bertolucci InformationWeek

Has this ever happened to you? You’re cruising down the highway, moving with the flow, when a lane-splitting motorcyclist suddenly zips past, nearly sideswiping you at 90 mph. Situations like these too often result in traffic accidents. And the daredevil cyclist isn’t the only road hazard out there. We’ve all encountered the distracted texter, the inebriated weaver — maybe even the wild-eyed suspect in a police car chase.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get a heads-up when bad drivers are approaching? An early-warning system that gives you enough time to take defensive action?

Technologies exist today to make this happen, as Intel research scientist Jennifer Healey made clear in a recent TED Talk on the potential benefits of cars that “gossip” with one another. By getting digital devices — including GPS systems, stereo cameras, short-range radios, and two-dimensional laser range finders common in auto backup systems — to exchange data and work together, a highway of communicating vehicles is very much a possibility.

“In the future, with cars exchanging data with each other, we will be able to see not just three cars ahead, (but also) three cars behind, to the right and left, all at the same time,” said Healey. “We’ll actually be able to see into those cars. We’ll be able to see the velocity of the car in front of us to see how fast that guy is going.”….    Report

DCL: The trend in high end cars is to include ever more gadgets that distract the driver. So the sooner cars can drive themselves the better for all of us.