Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Chat System

A decentralized communication system designed for vehicles to send short messages or alerts to nearby drivers (e.g., "accident ahead" or "slow down"). This implementation uses MQTT for peer-to-peer networking and provides a simple text/emoji-based interface. It can be extended to integrate with vehicle HUDs (heads-up displays) for real-time notifications.

Features

• Peer-to-Peer Networking: Uses MQTT protocol for decentralized message broadcasting.
• Simple Interface: Text messages with optional emojis for quick communication.
• HUD Integration: Simulated output that could be adapted for real HUD systems.
• Use Case: Enhances road safety and coordination between drivers.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.6+
• paho-mqtt library (pip install paho-mqtt)
• An MQTT broker (e.g., Mosquitto) running locally or on a server

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/techdrivex/V2V
   cd V2V

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install paho-mqtt

3. Install and run an MQTT broker (e.g., Mosquitto):
   • On Ubuntu: sudo apt install mosquitto mosquitto-clients
   • Start the broker: mosquitto
   • Alternatively, use a public broker like broker.hivemq.com.

Usage

1. Update the BROKER_ADDRESS variable in v2v_chat.py to your MQTT broker's address (default is localhost).
2. Set a unique VEHICLE_ID for each instance (e.g., vehicle_1, vehicle_2).
3. Run the script:

   python v2v_chat.py

4. Follow the prompts to send predefined messages to nearby vehicles.

Example Interaction

Available messages:
1: Accident ahead ⚠️
2: Slow down 🐢
3: Road clear ✅
Enter message number (or 'q' to quit): 1
Sent: Accident ahead ⚠️

Other vehicles subscribed to the v2v/nearby topic will receive:

[Received from vehicle_1 at 14:30:45] Accident ahead ⚠️
HUD Display: Accident ahead ⚠️

Extending the System

• Real HUD Integration: Replace the display_message function with an API call to a vehicle's HUD system.
• WebRTC Alternative: For true peer-to-peer without a broker, adapt the system to use WebRTC (requires additional libraries like aiortc).
• Range Limitation: Simulate proximity by adding geolocation checks or using multiple MQTT topics for different regions.
• Security: Add encryption (e.g., TLS for MQTT) and authentication to prevent unauthorized messages.

Limitations

• This is a proof-of-concept and lacks real-world vehicle integration.
• Assumes all vehicles are within the same MQTT topic range (no proximity simulation).
• No error handling for network disruptions.

License

MIT License - feel free to modify and distribute.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Submit a pull request or open an issue for suggestions.