Linux forms foundation to improve mobility

The Linux Foundation has formed the Urban Computing Foundation to allow companies like Google and Uber to collaborate on open source software to improve mobility. Linux, a non-profit organisation, says the software can also be used to improve safety, traffic congestion and energy consumption in connected cities. Jim Zemlin, executive director of Linux, says: “The Urban Computing Foundation is poised to provide the compatibility tools and resources for developers to create software that can map out a
May 15, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

The Linux Foundation has formed the Urban Computing Foundation to allow companies like 1691 Google and 8336 Uber to collaborate on open source software to improve mobility.

Linux, a non-profit organisation, says the software can also be used to improve safety, traffic congestion and energy consumption in connected cities.

Jim Zemlin, executive director of Linux, says: “The Urban Computing Foundation is poised to provide the compatibility tools and resources for developers to create software that can map out and operate technology services in any given urban area, ensuring safety and equitable access to transportation.”

According to Linux, urban computing is emerging as an important field for bridging the divide between engineering, visualisation and traditional transportation system analysis.

The foundation is setting itself up as a neutral forum for this work, including the adaption of geospatial and temporal machine learning techniques and urban environments and simulation methodologies.

The first project hosted at the foundation is %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Kepler.gl false https://kepler.gl/ false false%>, an open source geospatial analysis tool created by Uber for building large-scale data sets. The solution is used by developers, data scientists, visualisation specialists and engineers explore and analyse a variety of scenarios that include transportation patterns and safety trends, Linux adds.

Travis Gorkin, Uber data visualisation lead, says: “Technologies like Kepler.gl have the capacity to advance urban planning by helping policymakers and local governments gain critical insights and better understand data about their cities.”

Other contributors involved in the foundation include 2170 Facebook, 62 IBM, 7643 Here Technologies, Interline Technologies, Senseable City Labs, StreetCred Labs and 3880 University of California San Diego.

The Foundation will use an open governance model being developed by the Technical Advisory Council (TAC), which includes a variety of technical and IP stakeholders in the urban computing space.

TAC contributors include:

•    Drew Dara-Abrams, principal, Interline Technologies
•    Oliver Fink, director Here XYZ, Here Technologies
•    Travis Gorkin, engineering manager of data visualization, Uber
•    Shan He, project leader of Kepler.gl, Uber
•    Randy Meech, CEO, StreetCred Labs
•    Michal Migurski, engineering manager of spatial computing, Facebook
•    Drishtie Patel, product manager of maps, Facebook
•    Paolo Santi, senior researcher, MIT
•    Max Sills, attorney, Google

To contribute to this work, please visit the Urban Computing Foundation %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external website false https://uc.foundation/ false false%>. 

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Countdown to 2015 ITS America Annual Meeting & Expo
    May 1, 2015
    There’s less than a month to go before the 2015 ITS America Annual Meeting & Expo gets under way in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania gets underway in what will be a unique and visionary event. The theme is Bridges To Innovation so for the more than 2,000 of the nation’s top transportation and technology business leaders and investors, policymakers, public agency representatives, and researchers, this will be one of the most forward looking Annual Meetings.
    Read More
  • Bournemouth council urges residents to avoid social media ‘taxi’ service
    November 21, 2018
    People in the UK resort of Bournemouth are being warned not to use a ‘lifts-for-cash’ service which is operating in the town. A closed Facebook group called ‘Bournemouth & Poole town lifts’ has more than 7,000 members but council leaders say the service could be illegal. Members communicate via social media. Once accepted, they can ask for trips, talk to drivers or make money by using their vehicle as a taxi. But Nananka Randle, licensing team manager, planning and regulatory services, at Bournemouth Bo
    Read More
  • Speed cameras targeted by French ‘yellow vest’ protesters
    January 14, 2019
    Protesters in France have put more than half of the country’s speed cameras out of action, according to the country’s authorities. Interior minister Christophe Castaner said that almost 60% of France’s 3,200 cameras have been affected, the BBC reports. Castaner said that the cameras had been “neutralised, attacked, or destroyed” by ‘yellow vest’ protesters in a move which threatened road safety. Motorists are required by law to keep high-visibility vests, or ‘gilets jaunes’ in their cars. These yel
    Read More
  • Infoart exhibits multinational payment and integration platform
    March 19, 2018
    Infoart is showcasing a multichannel payment and integration platform for on and off-street parking at Intertraffic. Called Igeus, the platform is designed with the intention of providing clients with a seamless digital experience. Igeus has more than 100 service providers and sales channels connected to the platform in Croatia through channels such as Infoart paydo web and mobile app, Infoart mparking and Infoart mgarage.
    Read More

Highlighted Content