June 8, 2007 —Hotspots. GPS. Internet-enabled phones. The world is going wireless. And a group of researchers are extending the concept to the car, turning automobiles into network nodes that can receive and send signals to others nearby.

As car after car enters the mobile network (some eventually drop out of range), drivers can download multimedia — including movies, images and songs — or get real-time information about traffic.

"Say you are driving and a car that is three miles in front of you spots an icy spot on the road. It can trigger back a signal saying, 'Look, there is an icy road,'" said Giovanni Pau, research scientist at the University of California's Network Research Lab in Los Angeles, which is led by Mario Gerla.

Such a network could also give emergency first responders a reliable channel if a natural disaster destroys communication towers or access points.