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

  • ISS Europe and CitySync showcase Jet-Aludra intelligent ANPR camera
    October 22, 2012
    Image Sensing Systems Europe and CitySync, specialists in detection and ANPR solutions for the ITS market, have used the ITS World Congress to showcase the Jet-Aludra which incorporates an IR ANPR camera, colour overview camera and an on-board processor. This cost effective Intelligent ANPR camera processes images at the time of capture, so smaller packets of information can be transferred via wireless 3G or wired connections to a central server for review or directly to a police back office facility, match
    Read More
  • Telegra shows new TopXview ITS platform
    March 20, 2018
    Telegra is unveiling a new generation ITS technologies which are designed to be understandable, safe and future-proof. The company says its new products address two major trends: rapidly evolving technologies for information sourcing, analysis and processing, and to counter growing traffic problems which cost societies worldwide billions of dollars every year.
    Read More
  • call PSAP workshop
    August 21, 2014
    Ertico-ITS Europe has announced the date of its eCall Way Forward, PSAP Workshop. This workshop will address the technical and operational issues surrounding the upgrade of Member State Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to effectively deal with all forms of eCall. The event is for Ertico Partners only (and special guests) and will be held at the ERTICO premises in Brussels on 3 September 2014 from 1000 to 1630. To register, please click on the following link
    Read More
  • Intelematics: five takeaways from ITS World Congress in Singapore
    October 31, 2019
    If you weren’t fortunate enough to be at the 26th ITS World Congress in Singapore – fear not! Stephen Owens of Intelematics takes you through his highlights of the show… Having recently topped the world’s first Smart City Index, Singapore was the ideal host city for this year’s ITS World Congress and provided a fantastic opportunity to bring the International ITS community to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Themed ‘smart mobility, empowering cities,’ it was an enjoyable week full of networking and lea
    Read More

Highlighted Content