YourITronics

This sounds like a fun project but it is a work in progress, so you’ll need either some knowledge to put the pieces missing in place or some patience to wait until its finished by the author. Basically the AccelR8 is a device for measuring acceleration. It can measure +/- 2 g. As it contains a micro-controller, it can also measure time.  This opens up some interesting possibilities. If we have the acceleration and the time, we can find speed (V), as V = a * t.  Also, we can find distance (D) as D = 0.5 * a * t * t.  If we now the mass of the object we are moving, we can also find the force (F) applied, as F = m * a.  And finally, from this we can find the power (P) from P = F * V.

yeah i know, physics 101 you might like it or you might not but using these you can find out some nifty info about your car:

• Acceleration 0-100 km/t (0-60 mph)
• Braking distance 100-0 (60-0), and
• Maximum Horsepower

AccelR8 - a portable device that can measure acceleration: [Link]

The dsPIC30F4012-based Doppler Radar System enables you to track speeding motorists in your neighborhood. The well-designed system generates a microwave energy burst with a 10-GHz transceiver. The microwave signal bounces off of a moving vehicle and the frequency (Doppler) shift is measured to determine its speed.

I must say this is the first DIY Radar system I’ve seen well documented. It’s definitely worth a try if you’re into this kind of projects.

Doppler Radar System Tracks Speeding Vehicles: [Download Project] - [View Project PDF] - [via]

With this ATmega32 based system, you can monitor a Fiat’s engine control unit (ECU) as you drive. You can display up to four of the available ECU parameters and have the values updated in real-time as you drive. It also decodes the internal ECU error codes as they occur and displays them in real time.  An ECU is the Electronics Control Unit of a car that controls various things like the ignition time and valve timing.

Fiat ECU Monitor System: [Download Project] - [View Project PDF] - [Via]