Safety Index: Automotive Warning System
How could the internet make your car safer? Soon enough, every car will have internet access. Using the vast amount of data available from the various safety systems within a vehicle, the MSU / Ford Research Project—SafetyNET—aims to leverage the inter-connectedness afforded by the internet to help make the roads both safer and more enjoyable.
Utilizing data from multiple systems within a vehicle (from the activation of the Antilock Brake or Airbag Systems, to the simple act of turning on windshield wipers) SafetyNET constantly analyzes vehicle events in an attempt to determine the activities the driver is currently experiencing.
In doing so, when the system discovers an alert that would be important for other drivers to be aware of, the data is transmitted to a server. The server reinterprets the information with the data from other drivers in the area, and if appropriate, will store and distribute the alert to other drivers.
Within the vehicle, a touch screen based interface displays a map (similar to a navigation system) with all of the alerts that are in the area. Using audio and visual indicators based on driver preferences, alerts inform the driver of numerous events that could impact them; lane closures, car accidents, obstacles in the road, ice and rain, or even heavy traffic!
By sharing the data that is being gathered within the many safety systems within your Ford vehicle, you can arrive at your destination safer and faster than ever before. With the power of the internet SafetyNET makes all of this possible.
George Hoffman, Rayshawn Holbrook, Jon Labaj, Chris Spagnuolo
