Somewhere I have an old article about a controversy around the data stored in car onboard computers (as fitted to most cars made in the last decade). <br><br>These computers continously monitor various inputs (road speed, engine speed, accelator position, gear, clutch and brake actions etc etc) as part of the car's normal operation.. In the event of a crash there is typically 20 seconds or so worth of data stored still, representing the driver's actions up to the crash. If this is recovered it could inform investigators as to what happened to cause the crash.<br>
<br>At the time the article was written, retrieving this data was deemed an invasion of privacy as owners were not advised that the engine management computer could be used as a black box data recorder. Police at that time had no idea on any of this stuff - presumably that has changed.<br>
<br>Nice dilemma for students to consider.<br><br>These articles provide some of the information.<br><a href="http://www.allbusiness.com/automotive/automotive-research-vehicle-crash-testing/6241031-1.html">http://www.allbusiness.com/automotive/automotive-research-vehicle-crash-testing/6241031-1.html</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.edn.com/article/CA529380.html">http://www.edn.com/article/CA529380.html</a><br><br>Ken<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 8:15 AM, Mark Kelly <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au">kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Including ABS and related technology in cars... !<br>
<br>
Timmer-Arends wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="im">
There is a long history of deadly situations involving the Airbus and its fly-by-wire systems. Back in the late '80s early '90s Perry Morrison and Tom Forester were documenting lots of computer failures resulting human injury or death. They argued that computers should not be put in charge of complex situations wherein an error could result in disaster.<br>
Regards<br>
Robert T-A<br>
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