fro and the cowboy monkey

Whilst surfing the web, I ran across this article on Jalopnik, detailing Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR).

So a quick look at the AUTOSAR website (www.autosar.org) reveals a little more detail regarding the "partners" involed:

Initial discussions on the common challenge and objectives were held by BMW, Bosch, Continental, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen in August, 2002 and the partners were joined soon afterwards by Siemens VDO. A joint technical team was set up in November, 2002, to establish the technical implementation strategy. The partnership between the Core Partners was formally signed off in July, 2003. Ford Motor Company joined as a Core Partner in November, 2003. Peugeot Citroën Automobiles S.A. and Toyota Motor Corporation joined as Core Partners in December, 2003. General Motors became Core Partner in November, 2004.

Modular software, interoperability between control modules and scalability all sound like great virtues. I wonder if AUTOSAR will genuinely be "Open" though. Open System is one thing, Open Source another. Particularly in the automotive industry. I can think of EPROM's, Links, and interceptors, not to mention the plethora of aftermarket computer suppliers.

Oh, but for open source software on-board performance vehicles. I can see the next generation of performance car enthusiasts battling to be not only backyard mechanics and backyard engineers, but backyard coders as well. Although some would say we're already most of the way there.