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Researchers Are Developing Ad Hoc Networks For Car-To-Car Data Exchange

Posted by Soulskill on from the hey-buddy-your-blinker-is-on dept.

Lucas123 writes "Researchers are developing machine-to-machine (M2M) communication technology that allows cars to exchange data with each other, enabling vehicles to know what the cars all around them are doing, and perhaps, where they're going. Intel is working with National Taiwan University on M2M connectivity, an idea came from caravanning — an available, but-not-yet-deployed technology that uses direct line of site infrared (IR) and a range finder in order to automatically adjust the speed of cars so they can travel at a measured distance from each other. In other words, they're electronically tethered to one another. Now, imagine a group of cars traveling down the road together as an ad hoc network, each one aware of the location, any sudden actions or even the travel route of other vehicles as uploaded to the cloud from a GPS device. 'We're even imagining in the future cars would be able to ask other cars, "Hey, can I cut into your lane?" Then the other car would let you in,' said Jennifer Healey, a research scientist with Intel."

3 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Hacking potential by AmiMoJo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I imagine mod chips that block other cars from your lane will appear quickly enough, but the potential for carnage if one were programmed to give other cars information designed to mislead them into danger can't be ignored. How would one car authenticate what another is saying?

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. Why Taiwan? by jaymzter · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The California university system is larger than any in Taiwan and exists in Intel's home state. Anyone have any ideas why this research was offshored?

    After all (and on another note), this seems right up the governing regime of California's "alley". Imagine the state using this technology to mandate your speed, or taxing you for entering the city core during certain hours, not to mention the wonderful surveillance opportunities.

    --
    If thou see a fair woman pay court to her, for thus thou wilt obtain love
  3. not looking forward to this... by userw014 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There's more than a few edge conditions that I worry about - and that's without even thinking about malicious actors.

    Some edge conditions:

    • A big car transportation truck (double bottomed) with the car navigation systems left on.
    • Multiple, physically adjacent highways - with concrete barriers between them
    • Traffic stalls on multi-deck bridges
    • Bleed-over from service roads running parallel to highways.

    Of malicious actors, I can think of:

    • Black-hat/vandals leaving false transmitters on the side of the road or attached to bridges.
    • Back doors (required by Homeland Security?) hacked to allow:
      • Self-important people (congressmen, lawyers, financiers) to force a favorable path through the hoi-poloi.
      • Black--hat/vandals creating obvious gaps in traffic - encouraging people to disregard the system