Novel system for monitoring vehicles

The University of Deusto (Bilbao) is developing a system for the remote monitoring of vehicles.

The NEXT-CAR project consists in developing a system for the management of a number of sensors incorporated into a vehicle and the subsequent sending of data from these to a monitoring control centre.

The basis of the project is a small pocket computer (PDA) which receives all the information from the vehicle’s network of electronic sensors, thus enabling it to monitor the complete state of the automobile and offer the user this data.

Thanks to NEXT-CAR the vehicle will be equipped with sensors that indicate several parameters and with an electronic subsystem which will be responsible for the processing and storage of the data from these sensors, as well as the regular sending of the data to a control centre via GPRS.

This monitoring centre will receive data from all the vehicles and will be able to investigate situation of each vehicle individually, according to the information received. Apart from the normal operating parameters, this system will also process and store emergency and other situations that a vehicle might encounter.