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n e t w o r k e d v e h i c l e
texted for construct internet design by gabriella marks
The collapse of all of our favorite techno gadgets into the ultimate handheld doohickey is inevitable. We catch glimpses of fantastical inventions in the scenes of sci-fi flicks. And while we don't have goggle-n-glove immersive virtual reality playgrounds in the livingroom or seamlessly humanoid cyborgs, there are a few convergences that seem much more likely. For instance, a car that never needs to ask directions.Introducing the Networked Vehicle: a concept car introduced at the 1997 Comdex conference, resulting from a corporate collaboration between Netscape, IBM, Delco, Sun...and Construct.
The cinematic high point in data visualization was unquestionably the slavic polar bear sleuth in "Until The End of the World", chattering "Searching....I'm still searching..." as he peeked beneath polygonal buildings in a dataTown.Wim Wenders futuristic flick featured many such gadgets that confuse line between fiction and prophecy. Consider, for instance, that computerized car that autopiloted the character Claire Tourneur about European roads while she slept...
Introducing the Networked Vehicle. While this concept car may not be the escort equivalent to its cinematic precedent, it does prove to be an evolutionary leap or three past the antiquated equation of a cellular phone in a car.
This computerized car is designed to be a consumer's dream. Using voice recognition, wireless communications, global positioning via satellite, head-up displays, Java technology, microprocessors, Web access and collaboration, and other Internet/intranet features, the network car will be the ultimate in convenience driving.
Safety was a critical concern for the network vehicle. For the driver, there is an emphasis on providing input devices, such as voice recognition, and presentaiton devices, a heads up display projected on the windsheid, that allow the driver to navigate, communicate, and monitor the vehicle's status without interfering with the mechanics of driving.
For the passengers, entertainment was a focal point. Individual terminals provide access to television, the internet, and games.
C o n s t r u c t 's C o n t r i b u t i o n
The individual terminals feature touch-screen monitors which passengers use to as to access, select, and view content. For Web access, a modified version of Netscape's Communicator browser was needed to interface with this unique operating environment.Construct wrote the touch-screen based web browser for the concept car. The browser interface was redesigned to work well with or without a mouse or keyboard.
T e c h N o t e s
Construct's James Waldrop wrote the browser exclusively in javascript. The final browser weighed in at just under 12 k of code--an impressive feat! Construct worked primarily with Delco and Javasoft to produce the browser.texter samples | text_only