March 29, 2007, 11:42 AM — If there's one thing motorcyclists on Germany's speedy autobahn don't have, it's the ability to view information about road conditions and traffic jams or even just the location of the next roadside restaurant. Help could be on the way.
Scientists from several German manufacturers, public research organizations and universities are researching a broad range of technologies for drivers to interact with their cars and motorcycles using voice, gestures and facial expressions, and they're tinkering with plenty more ideas.
One of the most ambitious projects is SmartWeb, whose partners include BMW AG, DaimlerChrysler AG and Siemens AG. A key focus of the project, which is being partly funded by the German Research Ministry, is to develop ways for people on the move to access Semantic Web services, combining speech and haptic feedback.
The Semantic Web aims to provide a common standard for Web sites to publish relevant information in a more readily machine-readable form, using processes similar to human deductive reasoning and inference. In the case of SmartWeb, the idea is to create interfaces to such information for people in mobile situations.
Because many Semantic Web pages are not yet available, SmartWeb uses its own language technology and information extraction methods to mark up standard HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) pages automatically, according to Anselm Blocher, a researcher at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Saarbrücken.
The technology could benefit all sorts of people on the move, particularly motorcyclists, notes Blocher.
"The motorcyclist is a good example of someone who wants a 'real' answer to a question like: Are there any dangerous spots on the road ahead?" he said. "The driver doesn't want a long string of results but rather one immediate answer."
Blocher describes such a scenario: Sensors equipped in cars detect trouble on the highway, such as an oil patch, and send data to every wireless-enabled vehicle in the area, which can warn drivers of the danger.
SmartWeb recognizes how busy the driver is and adjusts its warning accordingly. If the driver is a motorcyclist, for instance, and is leaning to go fast around a bend, the system would not use a loud alarm to warn of the upcoming oil patch. Instead, it would generate a signal on the dashboard of the motorcycle.
If the motorcyclist is driving at low speed along a straight road, the system may show a danger point on a digital map or tell the driver about the problem via the headset.
The SmartWeb project should integrate well with research from the Car2Car Consortium, which includes the major European car markers. The consortium is developing a wireless mesh network that connects nearby vehicles and relays traffic information in a ripple-down effect.
SmartWeb could also tie in nicely with some of Siemens AG's traffic safety innovations. One system, already available for trucks, uses a small camera and an infrared light to continuously illuminate driver's features. Software evaluates factors such as head movement and the number of eye blinks to determine signs of exhaustion. If so, the system vibrates the seat. If drowsiness continues, the truck sounds a tone that grows louder until the driver becomes more alert.
Another camera-based system with special software scans roads for traffic signs, which are identified and displayed on the dashboard. Drivers are warned with a visual sign when they're traveling too fast but can continue if they wish. The system, to be available next year for cars and trucks, can also be connected to cruise control, allowing the vehicle to speed up or slow down to match changes in the speed limit.
Perhaps, in the not too distant future, it may be wise not only to look under the hood for horsepower but also to check out the vehicle's computational arsenal. Some of the new technologies packed inside could save lives.
