New technology that gathers weather information from taxis operating in the city will soon be available. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 11 (Korea Bizwire) – New technology that gathers weather information from taxis operating in the city will soon be available.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), technology to collect weather data through vehicle on-board diagnostics (OBD) is currently being developed.
OBD refers to a system that automatically saves diagnostic information of a running car. Through sensors, the system collects information on speed, direction, brakes and external weather conditions such as temperature and air pressure.
Until now, the information gathered was used by certain insurance companies to analyze driving habits, but the weather information was thrown away.
However, reports of countries such as England using OBD to collect weather information are increasing. Vehicular OBD are rising as a new technology to help predict the weather.
The KMA looked into the technology over the past two years, using OBD systems from two taxies to run a test. The agency is also developing technology to connect the vehicle OBD to drivers’ smartphones using Bluetooth. Through the technology, data and information gathered through the devices will be sent to the KMA.
Once the technology is completed, a pilot project will be assess the performance of the system with the help of 30 taxis.
The KMA hopes to provide detailed weather information once live weather information starts to be received from taxis operating in the city. Currently, the official observatories are 13 kilometers apart, making it difficult to obtain detailed data weather information for individual neighborhoods.
Officials at the KMA comment that the OBD will not only provide weather information, but also be adopted in traffic safety policies. “Data on traffic conditions or road condition could be used to reduce the number of accidents”, they add.
However, a lot has to be figured out before the technology is commercialized. The administration said public discussions will be instrumental helping to find the perfect balance between profitability and privacy concerns.
By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)
