With more and more pieces of our lives hooked up to the Web –– game consoles, kitchen appliances and even clothing –– it’s kind of surprising we don't have more digital communication with our cars.
One reason that may be is the lack, so far, of a standardized set of interaction rules and guidelines all car companies and programmers can agree on. The turning point in popular usage of the Internet, after all, was the development of the HTTP protocol as the one standard for the world to get behind.
Such an agreement is what the World Wide Web Consortium is hoping to develop, with the recent announcement of its W3C Automotive and Web Business group.
The group will be made up of experts in both fields who will develop Web Application Programming Interfaces — APIs — to form the industry standards for digital communications between computers and automobiles.
The API would create a standard language for Web and app programmers to measure, manipulate and use data pulled from the vehicles, including information about the car itself –– make, model, year, engine/transmission data –– and specific environmental variables about the driver and other factors such as speed, tire pressure, oil levels and the countless other things that have already been digitized over the past few decades.
The beginnings of the digital automobile have already arrived. Microsoft has licensed its Windows Embedded OS to Ford for its Ford Sync systems.
Preferring the more open (and cheaper) path, the Automotive Grade Linux Work Group has attracted contributors and support from Nissan, Honda, Intel and Nvidia.
Other companies, mostly high-end luxury manufacturers such as BMW and Tesla, have already debuted computer systems, though they have so far focused on entertainment, climate control and other comforts.
New features could not only enhance the experience and safety of drivers in individual cars, but shared data could help vehicles stay aware of their surroundings. It's always "the other people" who are the worst drivers.
