Velocigram.org is devoted to the advancement of vehicle routing systems that always know the up-to-the-second state of traffic. Routing algorithms can be developed that assist drivers to steer around traffic jams, reducing energy usage, pollution, and general aggravation. This is "Green" software that can actually help the environment.
One such scheme uses GPS receivers within cars to monitor the location and velocity at many points within a city. This information is sent to servers which can be fed back into a routing calculator to provide better routes for drivers.
An interesting result of this scheme is that very detailed maps can be made from the aggregate data. The maps also can have a great deal of transportation information, such as peak usage times, average speeds at various times of day etc.
An open, public implementation of this is desirable for the following reasons:
- Privacy concerns can be addressed by open, yet secure ways of obtaining location and velocity information.
- The information and maps that are accumulated will be in the public domain, useable to everyone.
- Researchers, mathematicians, and programmers can contribute interesting algorithms to improve the system, and make it more useful.
Please feel free to contribute to the Wiki, forums and links.