Its one small step for Ford, but one giant leap for vehicle technology as Ford starts shipping beta test kits of its open source connectivity research platform, known as OpenXC.
If you haven’t heard of OpenXC, it’s an open source hardware and software platform that features a CAN translation module and a host device.
The CAN translation module features two connections: one to the CAN bus via an OBD-II port; and the other to the host device using a USB. It listens for CAN messages and performs unit conversion of factoring and outputs a generic version to the USB interface. The hardware module then offers real-time access to the GPS receiver, vehicle sensors and vehicle speed that can be read as apps isolated from the vehicle control systems.
Meanwhile, the host device is where the user code runs and it reads vehicle data over the USB from the CAN translation module.
Now at the NASSCOM India Leadership summit, Ford is demonstrating an app that allows drivers to select personal contacts with an automatic location update during their travels. It can determine if a driver is late for a meeting and even send an email or text message to other attendees without input from the driver.
Ford hopes that the developers working with OpenXC will create apps that cover a wide span of categories covering everything from personal information to entertainment.
