Building Smart Car System, need advice, help

BugNuker · 08-04-2004, 04:29 PM

Hello. I happend to find this site, and I hope i will get some usefull help here.
This is what I am trying to do.
I want to build an entire car system, using the latest toys that are offered today. I want to have a system that can moniter Video from a usb cam. Moniter GPD with a usb gpd device. moniter the cars perfomance, i still dont know how i could and would do something like that. I want it to play my mp3's, I want it to play DVD's and other things, such as voice command.
My plans are to build a mini itx computer, something no bigger than todays dvd players. This should let me have someting around 1.0 ghz and around 256 ram, with i am planning a 120 gig or larger hard drive.
I then want to get a flat touch screen to mount somewhere in my car. I also want to get a new "smart display" and have 802.11 running in my car and use a "wireless moniter" if you will for things as well.
I am debating on getting a small 7 - 8 inch built in screen and a 10 - 15 inch smart display. I could get the 10inch smart display, and have it dock and undock and become wireless.
My main questions are these:
Has anyone here tried to do all these things I would like to do in a system?
Has anyone built there own system like this, or something like this and had car performace data on the screen? if so, how did you hook into the cars computer to get this data, and what software was used to decode the data into a pretty reading format?
What displays would you recomend?
How would some of you go about building this system. What are your ideas, your thoughs, etc.
I hope to come back with more ideas, new info, and maybe some begging project pics soon. any advise would be great
thanks

-Shane

[iG] · 08-04-2004, 04:33 PM

gpd = gps right?

about everything you said already exists. Take a look at voices for voice control, mp3/video any player can do. You can monitor your 'performance' through the OBD2 or CAN interface, depending on what kind of car you have and what interface it uses.

.. The only thing you will be hard pressed to find is a 'dock/undock' wireless monitor

DjBac · 08-04-2004, 05:24 PM

and.....

mykolJay · 08-04-2004, 05:25 PM

all of this is answered in each of the forum sections. For example, look in LCD for display ideas. Look in GPS for navigaiton ideas. Look in OBDII for engine monitoring. Look in wireless for wireless ideas. Look in power section for powering the compluper,etc. So please search before asking general questions.

Yeh, the wireless monitor idea is out there. For TFT, I'm sure it's possible, it may have some intererference, and would you really want its own battery. You definitely can't get VGA resolution over wireless. (And you need VGA for GPS)

Good luck. And you didn't even say what car you have.

Edit: Welcome to the board, just remember to search

BugNuker · 08-04-2004, 08:00 PM

Hello folks
I have a 1995 toyota pickup.
As for the wireless moniter, just doa simple search for "smart display"
this is a wireless RDP client, it does pretty well, and it has a docking option.
its all works off of 802.11b wireless, so its only 11mbit. granter, video perfomance would not be A+ when watching a dvd, but I can use windows 2k3 and use media server to stream mpeg or avi files over a http interface, and thats no lag jump there using that (i've watched cable tv over the net using this service with no problem, and only has a 256k upload) So i think I can solve those problems. However, If i am going to build something, I dont want to have it be crap. I am going to have to run the whole thing via windows, and its looking like windows 2k3. why windows you ask? well, I just happen to be ms certified, so I know windows very well, and can do almost anything with it. any other posts are great
thanks for all the help
-Shane

cooky · 08-04-2004, 08:43 PM

If you really want a true smart car system, you'll also integrate the heat/ac, power windows/locks security system and a remote start option.

All of which you could control with both voice and touchtone through your cell phone or a fancy pager from, technically anywere.

jaeger · 08-04-2004, 08:57 PM

you can get most car stats and real time data through the obd II system. you'd have to use an interface like digimoto or autoenginuity to connect and translate the data.

but you have a 1995 vehicle, and it is not likely that you will have the obdii system since it only became a requirement in 1996 vehicles and later... have fun

ing

frodobaggins · 08-04-2004, 09:16 PM

http://www.viewsonic.com/smartdisplays/