LapLogic Wireless Automotive Telemetry System

Imagine driving on a racetrack, pushing your car to its limits, and wanting detailed insights beyond basic metrics of speed or engine RPM. What about less obvious stats such as engine load, fuel efficiency, or intake air temperature? What if you could access this hidden data—and more—in realtime, right from your smartphone?

- Alex Moore, Illia Pavych, Matthew Pearson, and Adam Schmidt

Using Onboard Diagnostic 2 (OBD2) Protocol

This vision drove our team of finalsemester Camosun College students to develop a wireless automotive telemetry system (WATS) as our capstone project. Over the course of our program, we learned about a variety of topics—from microcontrollers and sensors to communication protocols and mobile app development. Our project allowed us to combine these skills and create something practical and exciting.

Our system comprises the WATS scanner and a smartphone application called the LapLogic Hub. Unlike traditional vehicle dashboards that display common statistics, our scanner taps into a car's sensors to provide both conventional metrics (such as engine RPM and speed) and lesser-known performance data, such as calculated engine load and intake air temperature, using the On-board Diagnostic 2 (OBD2) protocol. With information transmitted wirelessly from our scanner to our mobile app, users gain comprehensive insights into their car's performance, whether for racing, tuning, or personal curiosity.

The app offers two modes of data access: CAR mode, which connects via Bluetooth for realtime data while driving; and REMOTE mode, which allows users to monitor vehicle performance in realtime from anywhere in the world. This seamless integration within a single application makes it versatile for both on-track performance monitoring and off-site analysis.