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Bump Uses License Plate Image Recognition to Text Fellow Drivers
The service, which launches today, requires users to download an app for their iPhones, and register their license plate numbers on Bump's cloud database. (The service will eventually expand to Android users, as well.) Once the data is registered, users can receive texts from anyone else who has taken a photo of their license plate with the app. When a photo is uploaded, the app's image-recognition software automatically directs the text to its appropriate recipient -- if, of course, he or she has joined the service.
Ostensibly, it would seem like this new technology can bring nothing but harm upon the Earth. Drivers, after all, already have enough distractions on the road, and hardly need another reason to text behind the wheel. If Bump's app does become popular, moreover, there's no telling what kind of virulence road ragers will send back and forth. On the other hand, assuming that the company controls spam and protects user privacy, the app might actually create an entirely new space of mobile communication.
"It allows us to track users, it's like putting a cookie on a car," says Bump VP of technology John Albers-Mead told Technology Review. Fast food restaurants, for example, could use the technology to offer personalized menus to drive-thru customers, as based on their previous selections. Other merchants could use it to construct a similarly intimate consumer environment. "You could register as a fan of the Dodgers and then receive a message welcoming you to the stadium and offering discount vouchers when you visit," Albers-Mead explains.
ZDNet's Sam Diaz, meanwhile, came up with a separate list of benefits the app could offer to consumers and fellow drivers. If a driver has a coffee cup on his roof, for example, or a flat tire, another driver could use the app to instantly notify him. Likewise, if someone hits a parked car and flees the scene, a witness could use the app to alert the affected parties. Still, unless Bump can find a way to clear the obvious texting-while-driving hurdle (perhaps by offering speech-to-text), and unless users don't feel "tracked" in their movements, we don't see a whole lot of drivers cozying up to the concept.
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Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsTonySep 19th 2010 9:57AM
Network......The key concept of present day society. Let's facebook, let's twitter together, bottom line is...network...hook everything together in neat little bundle. it's like a trick of the eye. We are all fascinated with the technology, the new found appeal depending on who you are, logging onto Facebook could be somepeople's dose of Jerry Springer or some dean of colleges saying "Let's find out what John does when he is not applying for a college grant, or hiring someone who has applied for a position to their company to a human resource dept. The appeal of just pushing a button and you are connected to the everyone in the world to be my friend. ......And now let's connect ...to that car overthere, I don't know who that is, just grab the plate number and let hook up. In essence that's the next step in ....networking. No point to bothering me, running my personal plate number randomly into a dbase that retrieves pernosal information about me, not the police mind you, just networking in action. Far from the concept of privacy that once was dominate to most people's desire. It makes it so much easier.
EDSep 19th 2010 5:06PM
Great!! Now you'll be able to cuss out the lousy driver in front of you by texting instead of pulling next to them and flip them the bird! Can't wait!!
LillieFaerieSep 19th 2010 11:46PM
This is absolutely sick and scary. Look at it from a few what if scenarios. Your local sereal killer (say the I40 guy who has racked up hundreds of innocents, say he decides to take your picture of the license and taxt you. Now he has your telephone number. Then he goes from your telephone number and reverse looks up your name and address. Now don't we all feel secure as hell with this type of individual getting your license.
Take another You are traveling alone. Someone comes up on you that you do not know and does not go away. He follows you to your car and you get away, but not soon enough to get out of view before he captures your license.
Sure there are the idiots that you'd love to do more than explitives to because they're talking on their cell phones and almost kill you by cutting you off. Rather capture the scene by corner cam and contact the law than have some rager go right up to your home and rage there.
People will die because of this. I feel with all of my heart that this is nothing that should be available to everyone. If I wanted, I would put my phone on my license. The state is not even given my phone number. Sure they can get it if they need it, but why put more numbers than is absolutely necessary. For one, the way people change numbers, that data wouldn't be always accurate and at this point only your address is mandatory to be current.
Privacy is not a party game. Not all people are nice people. I certainly would not want the service. It will be the cause of harm, just give it a few months.
mitchthrowerSep 22nd 2010 12:41AM
@Lil
Amar, thanks for the article, and readers, thanks for the comments.
Would love to hear any recommendations directly, in fact, this is a request for more help and feedback from the bright minds reading this review.
Working on the launch of BUMP.com - backstage interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoEHqOJ3ovI - A few quick updates from the product team at bump: * our smart phone apps disable texting when driving (so voice only), * we are creating a safety network for drivers to know when their car got towed, and to also report bad driving, (or good driving) or to send messages safely via voice.
We are also launching a BUMP.com suite of consumer safety connections to amber alerts, earthquake, traffic alerts, free towing, and weather alerts in the system. We are working with a leading expert on road rage to develop product features that diffuse road tension, and prevent accidents. In our next release, we have a profanity filter, a speak-and-listen system, among many other safety features.
We are also working with experts that track stalkers and other bad guys to build systems that actually catch them, and you can learn more about that in November when we announce our parental privacy and protection products. Our nationwide phone number launches in October, where you can simply call and leave messages (or report) any car or traffic hazard, so it is, indeed, an 800-how-am-i-driving for the entire country - it uses speech recognition and is hands free.
We're just one of the companies in the space, and perhaps the first one you heard of - there are more than 20 other companies currently doing license plate messaging across the country - check them out, as well.
At BUMP.com however, we want to be the company to do this the right way, the SAFE way (we are the only one of the 20 companies implementing these voice activation, driver safe rating and reporting system and many safety features).
You will notice that license plate messaging is a rapidly advancing technology sector and a new company in this space launches every week. Here are some...
www.platestate.com
www.platester.com
www.carpong.com
www.platewire.com
www.samelane.com
www.searchplates.com
www.ilpdb.com
www.trafficfrendzy.com
www.drivebydating.com.au
www.cartaghouston.com
www.platetxt.com
www.PL8SCAN.com
www.zapatag.com
www.quickcarflirting.com
www.aboveaveragedrivers.com
www.licenseplategenie.com
www.trafficjamm.com
I sincerely want to listen and address our users concerns and change the product in every way possible to BUMP safe. Let me know your thoughts and I will respond to you personally.
Also, here is another article that explains more: http://venturebeat.com/2010/09/15/demo-bump-social-network-car-license-plates/
Looking forward to hearing from you directly.
- Mitch Thrower, Founder, BUMP.com E-mail me directly at mitch.thrower@bump-network.com
LillieFaerieSep 19th 2010 11:57PM
I've probably driven close to a million miles over my career. I have encountered some real sleezoids over the years from the truck driver slicking his lips and looking at my legs while I drove in my much smaller car, or the guy that pulled his pants down and began masturbating in front of my 5 and 7 year old. i have encountered some wonderful truck drivers who have helped us as well. The point is, texting a stranger while on any road is dangerous. There can be good guys, but there are some really bad people as well. At least in my state it is illegal to text while driving. I don't see its use at all.
cnchavezSep 22nd 2010 7:51PM
Hey! Check out BUMP.com’s latest cool video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csq37RB1CFk
JeffOct 7th 2010 1:24PM
Awesome idea!