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

  • MaaS Market London: Top names debate local authorities’ digital dilemma
    January 16, 2019
    Key players in the transport sector will debate the challenges faced by local authorities worldwide from new digitised platforms such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in a dedicated session at ITS International’s 2019 MaaS Market Conference in London this March. Taxi-hailing apps have already demonstrated the disruptive nature of new digitised transport services. As a result, some local authorities have struggled to retain control over issues such as traffic management and the vetting of taxi drivers and
    Read More
  • Baidu tests two driverless cars on China expressway
    June 27, 2018
    Chinese artificial intelligence company Baidu has tested two self-driving cars for the first time along a 33km section of an unused expressway in Tianjin City. A news report says that the trial helped developers collect data on the cars’ performance and their ability to sense the road environment. The test site is part of the Tangshan-Langfang expressway, which is scheduled to open in the Hebei province later this year.
    Read More
  • Here Technologies launches safety suite for BMW drivers
    January 5, 2018
    To improve driver and passenger safety in BMW vehicles, Here Technologies (Here) will deliver a cloud-based suite which provides information on potential road hazards, accidents and extreme weather events, such as slippery roads and reduced visibility. It will be integrated into production models beginning in mid-2018 and will be available to users across North America and Europe. Called Here Safety Services Suite, the system aggregates real-time, rich sensor data generated by cars of different brands.
    Read More
  • Smart cities: engineering the future
    October 14, 2013
    The UK’s Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) smart cities meeting on 16 October will debate the technologies, skills and innovation needed to deliver the smart cities of the future. Prof Dr Uwe Krueger, CEO of Atkins, will discuss how coping with mass urbanisation will require a new kind of design, engineering and delivery – one which delivers adaptable and smart solutions, prioritises materials and energy efficiency and yet still meets the highest standards of quality and safety. It will me
    Read More

Highlighted Content