Control Audio:

 

CoPilot can control the radio in my car.  I achieved this by pulling the old radio apart and using relays to interface with the previously pressed buttons.  For example; when you tap the 'seek up' button in my GUI, the raspberry pi sends a quick signal to the relay attached in place of the old 'seek up' button.  Very simple.  You are also able to pair a bluetooth audio device with the Raspberry Pi and control it via CoPilot's Audio app.

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Controls:

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CoPilot can also control a few other things in the car.  By tapping on the controls icon, the user is presented a screen with options to; Open/Close a garage door, Turn On/Off a radar detector, Turn On/Off interior lighting, and even Open/Close both front windows with one tap.

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OBDII:

 

One of the more recent additions I have made to my software was to implement the use of OBDII protocol.  This allows me to pull tons of information from the vehicle.  Currently, I have pages to allow the user to see; Engine RPM, Vehicle Speed, Coolant Temp, Intake Temp, and Engine Load.  I have designed a handful of gauges already and plan to make more in the future.  The user is able to set a specific redline and speed limit that will be used in tachs and speedos to alert the user when these values are exceeded.

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Sensors:

 

 I have also installed a small temperature probe in the interior of my vehicle.  By tapping below the time on the home screen, the user is presented with a small bubble containing the vehicle's interior temperature.  I have also implemented an ADXL345 accelerometer to measure the car's g-forces while accelerating, braking or cornering.

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Apps:

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When programming and developing CoPIlot, I designed and created a few simple apps available to the driver. Some of the more useful apps include; a maintenance tracker, a stopwatch, and a handful of different clock faces that can be displayed on screen. I also built a few 'for fun' apps such as Paint or Photos.  GPS is coming soon.

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Safety:

 

One of the biggest problems with touchscreen infotainment systems is the extra driving distraction glaring in your face at all times. Another problem with modern systems is they often require you to dig through multiple pages to get to the setting that you need, causing further distraction from the road.  To remedy this, I included two physical momentary buttons into my project.  I have both of these buttons located right behind the gearshift between the two front seats allowing for very easy use.  These buttons functions can be changed in the settings page to control anything in the vehicle.  Personally, I chose to have one button 'seek up' through the radio stations while the other button toggles the display on and off.  By being able to set your favorite functions to physical buttons in easy to reach places, less time is required for looking down at your display.  Safe.