TheDrive

Before digital displays, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay were prevalent, cars were pretty dumb. However it was only on the surface, because cars do record and generate a significant amount of useful data. This data can be accessed via the OBD port below your dashboard. This port is often used by your mechanic to figure out errors or failures the onboard sensors caught.

I figured that being able to tap into the data via a bluetooth OBD plug will let us display all sorts of interesting information on our phone displays while we drive. This could include travel time, average speed, distance travelled, fuel efficiency, and range. The GPS in our phones can also help supplement that data with location, direction, and google maps navigation information. The result was a Android-exclusive app called TheDrive. Although it is now obsolete due to native integrations by Google and Apple, it allowed me to explore my take on making vehicles ‘smart’.