bystander
10-31-2006, 04:35 AM
Who else would like to see something like this as a future feature on a PT?
click image for info.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-45526219634643_1921_40738998 (http://livesciencestore.com/51615.html)
Your car's on-board computer system knows a lot more about your engine's performance and your driving habits than you do. But CarChip puts the same data in your hands, recording up to 75 hours of trip details at a time. Then you download the data to your computer to get a moment-by-moment picture of how you -- or perhaps your employees or your teenage kids -- are driving.
CarChip plugs into your car's OBDII port, found under the dashboard or steering wheel. It provides complete trip details including time and date for each trip, distance traveled, speed (recorded every 5 seconds), hard brakings and quick accelerations, how often you exceeded the speed limit, idle time, emission status, gas mileage, engine diagnostic trouble codes, and more. All the info is displayed in tables and graphs on your computer screen.
Works on most 1996 or later cars. Includes software and a USB cable for downloading data. Requires Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP.
Keeping in mind that a PT is a "device" and that a car is a "vehicle", of course!
Looks like this aftermarket item makes a duplicate log of the car's "black box" log. The newer cars sense, develop and log all this data and provide it on this "OBDII port".
The InfoKey on a gen2 already covers some of this ground with basic odometry. But this "CarChip" goes into greater detail for those interested.
The good thing about the idea is that Segway, Inc. doesn't have to make a lot of changes. They just provide a pathway for the data that goes into their log to be conducted along with the data that already goes to the InfoKey, then publish a specification. An aftermarket company or a group of enthusiasts would work out the details and produce an "InfoKey Plus". The flow of data would be one way, that is, outwards only, which ought to provide security for Segway, Inc's IP.
Why is this useful? It would show how well the batteries are accepting and delivering charge. It would show how long range performance changes due to seasonal variations, such as ambient temperature and winds. It would assist those making long trips to provide adequate intelligence as to where "recharge" points should be planned. It would help to establish the veracity of the packs when it is time to sell or trade in the PT. It would be useful to provide statistics on exactly how much it costs to operate a PT verses an automobile.
How about it? A feature like this would definitely tip the balance in favor of me trading in my gen1 on a newer gen PT! Of course, I am planning to upgrade eventually, but this kind of feature would encourage me to do it much sooner.
Of course, there are millions of cars built since 1996, so the aftermarket for a car version of this is substantial. Since there are probably only 25k PTs out there right now, the inducement for a third party to develop this for a PT is rather small, even if Segway, Inc. were to publish specifications on the data format available on the wireless interface.
P.S. For this car application, I don't know how it can tell you exceeded the speed limit unless it has GPS correlation and can tell you're at freeway speeds when traveling on surface streets!
click image for info.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-45526219634643_1921_40738998 (http://livesciencestore.com/51615.html)
Your car's on-board computer system knows a lot more about your engine's performance and your driving habits than you do. But CarChip puts the same data in your hands, recording up to 75 hours of trip details at a time. Then you download the data to your computer to get a moment-by-moment picture of how you -- or perhaps your employees or your teenage kids -- are driving.
CarChip plugs into your car's OBDII port, found under the dashboard or steering wheel. It provides complete trip details including time and date for each trip, distance traveled, speed (recorded every 5 seconds), hard brakings and quick accelerations, how often you exceeded the speed limit, idle time, emission status, gas mileage, engine diagnostic trouble codes, and more. All the info is displayed in tables and graphs on your computer screen.
Works on most 1996 or later cars. Includes software and a USB cable for downloading data. Requires Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP.
Keeping in mind that a PT is a "device" and that a car is a "vehicle", of course!
Looks like this aftermarket item makes a duplicate log of the car's "black box" log. The newer cars sense, develop and log all this data and provide it on this "OBDII port".
The InfoKey on a gen2 already covers some of this ground with basic odometry. But this "CarChip" goes into greater detail for those interested.
The good thing about the idea is that Segway, Inc. doesn't have to make a lot of changes. They just provide a pathway for the data that goes into their log to be conducted along with the data that already goes to the InfoKey, then publish a specification. An aftermarket company or a group of enthusiasts would work out the details and produce an "InfoKey Plus". The flow of data would be one way, that is, outwards only, which ought to provide security for Segway, Inc's IP.
Why is this useful? It would show how well the batteries are accepting and delivering charge. It would show how long range performance changes due to seasonal variations, such as ambient temperature and winds. It would assist those making long trips to provide adequate intelligence as to where "recharge" points should be planned. It would help to establish the veracity of the packs when it is time to sell or trade in the PT. It would be useful to provide statistics on exactly how much it costs to operate a PT verses an automobile.
How about it? A feature like this would definitely tip the balance in favor of me trading in my gen1 on a newer gen PT! Of course, I am planning to upgrade eventually, but this kind of feature would encourage me to do it much sooner.
Of course, there are millions of cars built since 1996, so the aftermarket for a car version of this is substantial. Since there are probably only 25k PTs out there right now, the inducement for a third party to develop this for a PT is rather small, even if Segway, Inc. were to publish specifications on the data format available on the wireless interface.
P.S. For this car application, I don't know how it can tell you exceeded the speed limit unless it has GPS correlation and can tell you're at freeway speeds when traveling on surface streets!