SXSW Diary: SXSW biggest wearable

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tumblr_n28tvqbbsQ1s7wjcuo1_r1_250.jpgBy Mark Ellis, technical director, BMF

Data is everywhere.

The common theme in 95% of the sessions I have attended has been around data. Notice I use the term data and not “Big data”. Big data is just data. We spend too much time worrying about the “What is Big Data Paradigm” when we should really just get on with the tasks in hand, which is using technology and human insight into gaining value from the actual data we have.

One industry here at SXSW which is making waves in the data world is the automotive industry. The notion of getting data from a car is not a new one. Since 1996 we have had the possibility of getting raw data from a car via the ODB port located under the dash. Ford Motor Company have realised the potential in data and how pairing this with technology can bring with it great opportunity. The Ford Developer Program is now actively looking to developers for innovation in this area.

The average car emits around 25Mb of raw data per hour. That’s a trail of 0s and 1s flowing into the air as freely as the CO2 from the exhaust.  What if we could track that as easily as we can track how many Kilometres you run from your Fitbit. Is the car set to become the biggest and greatest wearable?

If your windshield wipers are on the chances are its raining. What if we could transmit this data straight to the Met Office? I am betting this would be a more accurate model than what’s currently in place.  There is already technology out there that could automatically brake for you if there is an accident ahead or maybe a windscreen which illuminates the road ahead via some form of Augmented Reality if visibility is low.

The car is evolving into a platform which we can pull data from. How we harness that data is still up for grabs. My guess is that this will be the job of the trusty phone with a suite of utilities and Apps which we synch with the car. A notification maybe after 1KM away from your house which alerts you to the fact you have left the garage door open. The Internet of things gives us endless possibility.

Who would own this data though? The car, the manufacturer, the driver?  A nice idea which came out of the session was the idea of a subscription model. What if companies could subscribe to the data which we produce?  What if we could receive benefits from the data which we produce?

There is definitely a shift in strategy from the big players in this industry. It’s no longer about 0-60 it’s about which car has the best technology.

While there are still more questions than answers its fair to say that the technology is here now for a connected car, we may just need some innovative ideas to kick-start the revolution.