The Internet of Cars: New R&D for Mobile Traffic Sensors
WiredWhen we talk about "the internet of things," we usually begin with commercial and household applications – tracking inventory, or a lost remote. The research team, led by computer scientists Hari Balakrishnan and Sam Madden, thinks we can stop spotting traffic jams after the fact with news helicopters or roadside sensors by equipping cars themselves with position sensors and wireless connections. It's already here, in the form of on-board GPS systems and the RFID fobs city car-sharing programs use to track cars and give multiple drivers access to vehicles. Collection of this information would have to be closely regulated, highly encrypted, and strictly anonymized – perhaps even initially restricted to public and publically licensed vehicles likes public transit, cabs, police/fire/rescue vehicles, or cars and trucks owned by local government. Having better knowledge of actual traffic patterns could help urban planners improve their transportation infrastructure, from retiming traffic lights to restructuring bus routes.
History of this topic
Man redirects traffic using Google Maps ‘hack’
The Independent
The technology that could end traffic jams
BBC
US proposes legislation to require cars to communicate with each other to prevent accidents
Firstpost
Cars That Talk to Each Other May Be Easier to Hack
SlateCars That Talk to Each Other Are Much Easier to Spy On
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