Inspired by everything from Star Trek to the Tesla car, I’ve embarked on a journey to transform my truck from mundane to something that is more than meets the eye. Ever since I was old enough to drive, I’ve dreamed of having a car with a computerized dashboard, but it seemed out of reach until recently. With the advent of affordable tiny embedded computers like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi I was finally ready to make this a reality. I wanted a system that could grow with my dreams, so I created CADI, an open source Computer Aided Dashboard Instrumentation system. I’ll take you with me from concept to integration, taking a look at how I choose my hardware, what I’ve learned trying to integrate with my car’s electronics, what it can do today, and where I’d like to take it moving forward. If you’ve ever wanted something more than that stock radio & analog A/C controls you’ll want to check out project CADI (projectcadi.com).