It started when the four of us were talking about Chrysler's new Challenger out by the Dow Building, and how it was a manual - but two of us didn't know how to drive a manual transmission. Meanwhile, the other two know well - after people had taken time to teach them, something that's precious and not always available.

Realizing this, we decided to try and create a manual transmission driving instructor, that could be displayed on a Chrysler vehicle's radio/head unit, reading information from the car's sensors using the OpenXC platform tools that Chrysler had brought along. This would also be handy for me at home, because I spend a lot of time teaching my friends how to drive stick - and I would like to teach more - but it's hard to find the time. It's an excellent job to automate!

The integration of car sensors using an open-source platform like OpenXC, connected to the Internet, with powerful visual and auditory feedback - this are the ingredients for serious potential for education and learning - from manual transmissions to online classes.