My friend and I are building a Full on PC based "Automotive Tool". First in my Z and then in his Yukon. It will have an MP3 player/nav system/dvd player/Alarm montior(with pager/cell phone alert)/engine system monitor(speed/rpm/oil temp/fuel air mix/ect..) with history(like a plane's "black box")/With a touch screen or trackball interface/ And Moble internet(128kdown/56kup at 60mph lower at higher speeds). It will only be about the size of a trunk mount CD changer(maybe alittle bigger but not much). It will be an all in one system!!

The moble Internet would be around $49.95 per mo. from Ricochet

Im am also wanting to know, what other features you would like to see in a system like this?(even if you think that it is not Realistic)

My question is how much would you be willing to pay for something like this?

Thanks
ChazzG

1. Under $500

2. $500 - $700

3. $700 - $1000

4. $1000 - $1500

5. Over $2000

6. I will post how much I would pay

 

Ditch Ricochet and go with a GSM service from AT&T, TMobile or the like.

Then the last trick is to figure out how to directwire it into the NAV system.

 

This system will replace the stock nav. but really its for the people that dont have OEM nav. I dont think the gsm will work as well.

 

Sounds like a good idea, and not too far off the beaten path. I think that it would be great if it had resource information about NAV locations and links to destination web sites. It would also be cool if it rated restaurants. etc.

Good luck!

 

good idea, but what ever happend to driving?? and please dont tell me your the type that talks on the cell, while talking to the nav, and drinking latte while your driving....
man im an a**hole
franklinz

 

I think i will put on a safety, the only thing that will run while the car is in Gear will be the MP3/nav/Engine Stats, and maybe the dvd

 

GREAT idea!!
Now i just have to work on that

 

ricochet went out of business, didnt they???

 

If you want someone to go visit and rate the restaurants, I'm there! LOL

 

I talked about this before. I would love one, and would pay a good amount for one that was made right. the dvd feature and mp3 ect is good, but simple, other than the simple items, some other ideas would be a recordable DVD. that way you can record movies from a grill mounted camera(or other area) onto a CD. tho now that I consider it in your context, easier to save it to a hard drive and then let it be connected to a laptop that can record it or something.

also features such as those in a gtech, except more perfect, like have it start a timer when the car first sets in motion, and then turn off when it reads 60mph. hook tire pressure into it. and all those other features, as well as make it possible to control boost controller and what not.

basicly think Idrive. make everything tie into it, so it is very functional.

I would probably pay whatever the system is worth. tho the best bet is to offer the base system and then customize it with accesories as you choose. that way its expandable as well.

 

I definitely like the idea of a grill mounted camera (or other places) that would record to the on board computer. Perhaps it could operate like TIVO in that it would only retain material for a certain time before recording over itself. It would be great for those times when you leave a challenging vehicle in the dust.

 

it did get bought but will restart up in 03'

 

chazzg,

Are you looking for any help? I am building something similar for my Attack roadster. I am only doing mp3 software and OBD-II interface. I have only worked on about 50% of the audio player/organizer so far though. The audio software is based heavily on the features of my other mp3 player (the empeg/Riocar). I am interested in using linux because I can cut the boot time down although your project sounds like you may want windows so you have access to a lot of good navigation programs.

I'm good at:
Electrical Engineering Design
PC/Embedded Software/Hardware
Computer Graphics
Printed Circuit Board Design

 

I will take any ideas/help that i can get to make a Verygood/Stable system.

I am going with Windows. More people use it than Linux(even though i have a friend on the board of Red Hat). I have already worked most of the Software Bugs,so I am pretty sure what I am going to go with there.

I have 2 Ways the handle boot up. The front runner is Basicly to have the Computer go on Standby and run of a battery(for up to 36 hr)when the car is off. The other is To burn the Hard boot into RAM so there will be almost no bootup time(5-10sec). the second way it much more complex to build,but more cost effctive. the first is more Exspenive but alot easier. i might have both as an option for buyers

 

Front and rear facing cams would be easy to add in, but to record video on a hard drive or a removable Media would not be Cost efective Right now. Digital video is a HUGE memory hog. I Can do it With an DVD-CDR-CDRW but a good one is still $300-$500. and i dont now how well it would record while in motion(the laser/disk would have to be Very stable, i.e. no shock) I know the Military does Digital Video from F18s and stuff but i think that would be VERY High Dollar.

I play around with the idea and see what i come up with.


As far as boost cotrol that should not be a prob. that is when the trubos come out. the system will be updateable and expandable Via USB 2.0/firewire and PCI

 

For video I suggest using an ATI tv wonder $60 (USB or PCI). I have one of these and get I great quality/compression. You can use simple MPEG-1 "video CD" quality at 1.13MBit/sec and fit 1 hour of video in 508.5 MBytes. If you use this format you can burn the video to CD and play it in most newer DVD players.

For the same price (and less features) you can get a video to USB interface from places like X10:
http://www.x10.com/products/x10_va11a.htm

 

I'd say Sprint, or one of the other upcoming 3G systems would be another option for the wireless connectivity. Throw on a 802.1b card to occasionally pick up open networks for free

If I end up with a Z, I will be likely to put a PC in it (Probably in the sub area behind the driver). I've wanted to do this for awhile, but never have gotten around to it on my current vehicles. Throw in something like AutoTap for OBD2 scanning, a copy of the shop manuals, map software for el cheapo navigation help, and some multimedia software, and you'd have a nice little toy. Interface, though, would be critical for frequently used things like the multimedia stuff.

 

The software sounds very nice but my main concern would be how it is mounted in the car. For instance, would you have a little seperate panel up front in the dash area for USB connections and so forth. So when you get into the building stage dont forget about accesability (sp?, its late ). My .02, hope it helps!

 

a Dash mount USB2.0/firewire is doable but ONLY as an option most people would not want to have to install that on the dash when you could get to the Firewire/USB 2.0 conections from the unit it self( in ie glovebox or Sub cuby or the stock nav location for the Z

 

There are already several web sites that rate POIs (Points of Interes) like www.frommers.com so your built in web browser already has that covered.

Since the existing NAV system display is already a standard RGB input, you could build a video switch and harness as an option for customers that already have NAV.

What do you plan to use as an input device? Wireless keyboard with integrated pointer? I've bought lots of these and still haven't found one I like. Let me know what you find.

Sounds like a great project. Keep us posted.