CarTel uses wardriving for science, better driving directions

If you're not satisfied with the driving directions you get on Google Maps, a few smart guys at MIT have created an elaborate new toy called CarTel just for you. They've equipped a fleet of Boston-area cars with computers that automatically connect to any 802.11 access points detected in transit, then send home data recorded by their on board diagnostic systems, all in just a few hundred milliseconds. The result: a website that gives you directions based on information gathered in real-time so you can avoid high-traffic areas or say, if it's raining, roads which have historically been congested in adverse weather conditions -- no GPS required. The project also keeps a record of all access points detected, so think of it as wardriving for the good of humanity -- and you (probably) wouldn't even get arrested for participating!

[Via PhysOrg]

[Kamokazi @ Oct 10th 2008 11:03AM]

Cellular providers and car manufacturers should get togther and put something similar to this in cars, free to consumers, and sell the data to Navteq/Teleatlas/etc.

Privacy/Big Brother concerns? Pfft... What could possibly go wrong...

[From My Cube @ Oct 10th 2008 11:09AM]

you said free with the words celllar proviers and car manufacturers...ill take a hit of what your smoking

[Kamokazi @ Oct 10th 2008 11:41AM]

Well what I meant was the a device to phone in the location...you'd have to buy a GPS receiver and pay for service for the traffic updates.

To alleviate privacy concerns, there could be an on/off switch, and you could get a significant discount on the service.

I know there are traffic updates now, but that only works in larger cities. This would work for the 60%+ of us who aren't in such cities. (But then our traffic problems are not nearly as bad).

[Chad @ Oct 10th 2008 11:45AM]

You basically just described the Dash GPS device that has been featured on Engadget a few times (minus the free and integrated points). If I didn't already own a Nuvi I would be down with the Dash in a hearbeat. The only thing they need to fix with it is to let it pair with your own cell phone so you don't need to pay the monthly fee.

[jmguazzo @ Oct 11th 2008 5:50AM]

Here in Belgium, GSM provider detect users speed on the highways and transfer that information to this http://www.touring.be/fr/loisirs/trajet-circulation/infos-trafic/index.asp .
The speed is calculated when a user leaves an antenna to connect another one.

The highways are colored based on the "average" speed of the gsm owners.
Green 90km/h
Orange 60-90km/h
Red 0km/h

This covers the whole country (quite easy because it's not big...). This information is freely available (no registering required) and used a lot !

[rock99rock @ Oct 10th 2008 11:13AM]

Any product containing "wardriving", i'm all for.

[eiki @ Oct 10th 2008 11:15AM]

the boston area has OVER 9000 miles of roads

[Scythe @ Oct 10th 2008 11:18AM]

I'd set up a dummy access point. Upon someone connecting and requesting directions by this nav unit, I would return an immediate turn-right (or similar) packet. Hopefully having the person driving go straight into a lake.

[From My Cube @ Oct 10th 2008 11:25AM]

im going to do the same thing but have them turn right...right into my drive way...and hopefully she is hot....if not I will activate the toll bar and charge a fee to leave

[Nick Catalano @ Oct 10th 2008 11:23AM]

Except this has already been done in multiple cities by Skyhook Wireless ( http://www.skyhookwireless.com/ ) and sold off to companies like Apple for the iPhone/iPod Touch and the Eye-Fi Explore system.

[Nick Catalano @ Oct 10th 2008 11:24AM]

At least for the directions part... this is a logical extension of that technology

[BigD145 @ Oct 10th 2008 11:57AM]

How are you going to get a real time update when the guy trying to get to the 95 has been stuck on the 93 for the past 4 hours?

[BigD145 @ Oct 10th 2008 11:58AM]

The guy with the computer. Yeah, I failed to specify.

[Benson @ Oct 10th 2008 12:05PM]

Hmm... it must use aircrack-ng to really "connect to any 802.11 access points detected in transit"?

[Brian @ Oct 10th 2008 12:47PM]

Man, I smell a great iPhone app. Too bad Apply probably wouldn't allow it....

[IndiaTech @ Oct 10th 2008 1:18PM]

To get accurate directions from point A to point B, I think you need a fixed reference point.GPS manages to do this by using satellites. But I don't think you can consider a Wireless Access Point as a fixed reference since they can be physically moved, renamed and have variable power output.

Unless of course geeks at MIT are considering such a large number of WAPs that these changes have very nominal effect.

[DirtyVegas @ Oct 10th 2008 1:23PM]

I don't think I understand. Does this system rely on a bunch of unsecure access points called "Linksys"?

[barry99705 @ Oct 10th 2008 1:27PM]

Yea, that's what I want. Some application on my computer that automagically breaks the law for me.

[Givemelove @ Oct 10th 2008 4:17PM]

Unfortunately, this project will not be able to be launched in a large scale.

Imagine, for the sake of the argument, that at least 5% of the vehicles are equipped with this technology. Each car will connect to an opened network (almost always a home network) and request an IP through DHCP. How many addresses can you assign to most routers? 100-200 (253 tops because almost every access point uses a /24 netmask). Most DHCP leases on routers are valid for 1 week, preventing the pool to be renewed.

Well, the results could be catastrophic; this could go from the saturation of each wireless network (limiting hence the number of available hotspots each car could connect to) to the inability for the owner to connect to his own network because there is no ip address available anymore.

That stuff is nice for DIY guys or if it is implemented correctly (Wi-Max - 3G - Edge); but not using wardriving; definitely not!

[jgavris @ Oct 11th 2008 2:38AM]

the iphone app i'm working on will use whatever connection is availible to push your GPS coords to our server. i wouldn't worry about running out of IP addresses...there's plenty of iphones out there and no problems yet...:D