Prashanth Doreswamy, President and CEO, Continental India, 0
The evolution of connected features in automobiles has shifted consumer interest from what lies under the hood to integrated technologies within the cockpit. As vehicles transform into personalized living spaces, the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) components shapes the future of the automotive industry. Automotive IoT, involving gadgets, sensors, and cloud computing, creates an intricate network connecting vehicles, fleet management, OEMs, and insurance services. This evolution extends beyond transportation; cars are poised to become multi-functional computers on wheels, reshaping both consumer and commercial segments. By 2025, projections anticipate over 400 million connected cars, signifying a substantial leap from 2021's 237 million.
This connected automotive landscape presents boundless possibilities, transforming mobility, improving traffic management, enhancing safety, and reducing emissions. Smart mobility solutions, supporting the Vision Zero initiative, aim for zero fatalities, injuries, and crashes while alleviating traffic congestion and environmental impact. Embracing fully connected, secure, and interoperable mobility solutions not only shapes a vibrant economy but also cultivates a healthier, safer society. Ultimately, this interconnectedness paves way for a future where mobility is not just a means of transportation but an ecosystem supporting a better quality of life for all.
A connected ecosystem can be classified into the following but not limited to four categories.
1. Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V): Information exchange between two connected vehicles for example real-time traffic data, road warning, speed data, etc.
2. Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I): Vehicles can also connect with infrastructure and road systems like parking meters, traffic lights, toll booths, RFID readers, availing locality-exclusive services, and more, for smooth movements on the road and evading lengthy queues.
3. Vehicle to Pedestrians (V2P): V2P connectivity is for the safety of all pedestrians. Using smartphones, the V2P networks allow individuals to connect with taxis, pedestrian traffic lights, and more.
4. Vehicle to network (V2N): V2N enables broadcast communications on mobile networks. This expands the scope of many connected vehicle applications so that drivers can take necessary actions way earlier.
Continental prioritizes adaptable technologies, like C-V2X, bridging connectivity gaps in areas with limited infrastructure, ensuring connectivity regardless of online or offline settings.
Cellular Vehicle to everything (C-V2X)
The advent of C-V2X technology, facilitated by 3GPP Release 14 and the evolving 5G network, heralds a new era of connectivity within and beyond vehicles. This technology transcends mobile network limitations, enabling direct communication among vehicles, infrastructure, and pedestrians. Beyond safety and time-sensitive data exchange, its applications extend to revolutionizing the in-car experience. Today's vehicles harness intelligence to personalize entertainment,
climate control, and notifications, even establishing connections with household appliances like refrigerators. With smart infotainment systems, passengers seamlessly integrate their smartphones with the vehicle's gadgets, providing navigation, entertainment, and access to nearby services through voice commands. Moreover, these systems bolster safety through driver assistance features, rear-view data, and emergency response capabilities, transforming not just the vehicle's interaction with its occupants but also its communication with the wider world. The connected car emerges as a pivotal paradigm shift in vehicular interaction and connectivity.
• 5G as an Enabler
The integration of 5G technology will revolutionize the automotive industry, positioning it among the top sectors for 5G service provider opportunities by 2030, enabling seamless real-time vehicle communication and enhancing connectivity, reliability, and response times. CoSmA's innovative Ultra-Wideband technology revolutionizes vehicle access by transforming smartphones into digital keys. With its secure onboard architecture and certified storage, CoSmA enables seamless car unlocking, access, and sharing of multiple digital keys, enhancing convenience and security in automotive experiences.
• Safety
Connected vehicles can interchange safety-critical information with the surrounding vehicles and the infrastructure, thus reducing crashes and fatalities. With eHorizon, vehicles can see around corners and beyond sensor vision. Using AI and other technologies, eHorizon processes the data acquired from the entire vehicle fleet, and increases the output reliability. This information is maintained on cloud servers and made available to all stakeholders in real time.
The Role of Software in Connected Mobility
The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic shift, where software emerges as the linchpin of innovation, likened to the oil of the future. With an anticipated surge in lines of code by 2030, V2X, cloud integration, and heightened security measures take precedence. This transformation stems from separating hardware from software, centralizing processing power, and seamlessly connecting through the cloud and IoT. By standardizing platforms and interfaces, the development landscape for software-driven vehicle architectures expedites implementation, enabling swift design, testing, and installation of cutting-edge solutions. This approach ensures vehicles are future-proofed, setting the stage for unparalleled functionality and technological evolution.
• The Crucial Role of HPC’s
To remove complexity from the overall vehicle system and turn it into a kind of “secure smartphone on wheels” to meet the high technical demands of the industry, at Continental, we rely on High Performance Computers (HPC). Similar to a smartphone, users can load services and apps of their choice onto the vehicle’s operating system and easily install new safety and driving functions.
Conclusion
IoT and connectivity have massively altered the old-fashioned interior of the car. Digital systems have replaced traditional control systems and they can handle more complex tasks with fewer actions, simple gestures, and voice commands. IoT allows many experiences and makes driving personalized. IoT sensors collect data about the driver's preferred seating position, music choice, and temperature settings. It also enables predictive maintenance by using telematics data. From real-time traffic information to enhanced safety features, the integration of IoT means better driving experiences, increased transport efficiency, safeguarded journey comfort and enhanced connectivity between cars and OEMs.
• 5G as an Enabler
The integration of 5G technology will revolutionize the automotive industry, positioning it among the top sectors for 5G service provider opportunities by 2030, enabling seamless real-time vehicle communication and enhancing connectivity, reliability, and response times. CoSmA's innovative Ultra-Wideband technology revolutionizes vehicle access by transforming smartphones into digital keys. With its secure onboard architecture and certified storage, CoSmA enables seamless car unlocking, access, and sharing of multiple digital keys, enhancing convenience and security in automotive experiences.
By standardizing platforms and interfaces, the development landscape for software-driven vehicle architectures expedites implementation, enabling swift design, testing, and installation of cutting-edge solutions.
• Safety
Connected vehicles can interchange safety-critical information with the surrounding vehicles and the infrastructure, thus reducing crashes and fatalities. With eHorizon, vehicles can see around corners and beyond sensor vision. Using AI and other technologies, eHorizon processes the data acquired from the entire vehicle fleet, and increases the output reliability. This information is maintained on cloud servers and made available to all stakeholders in real time.
The Role of Software in Connected Mobility
The automotive industry is undergoing a seismic shift, where software emerges as the linchpin of innovation, likened to the oil of the future. With an anticipated surge in lines of code by 2030, V2X, cloud integration, and heightened security measures take precedence. This transformation stems from separating hardware from software, centralizing processing power, and seamlessly connecting through the cloud and IoT. By standardizing platforms and interfaces, the development landscape for software-driven vehicle architectures expedites implementation, enabling swift design, testing, and installation of cutting-edge solutions. This approach ensures vehicles are future-proofed, setting the stage for unparalleled functionality and technological evolution.
• The Crucial Role of HPC’s
To remove complexity from the overall vehicle system and turn it into a kind of “secure smartphone on wheels” to meet the high technical demands of the industry, at Continental, we rely on High Performance Computers (HPC). Similar to a smartphone, users can load services and apps of their choice onto the vehicle’s operating system and easily install new safety and driving functions.
Conclusion
IoT and connectivity have massively altered the old-fashioned interior of the car. Digital systems have replaced traditional control systems and they can handle more complex tasks with fewer actions, simple gestures, and voice commands. IoT allows many experiences and makes driving personalized. IoT sensors collect data about the driver's preferred seating position, music choice, and temperature settings. It also enables predictive maintenance by using telematics data. From real-time traffic information to enhanced safety features, the integration of IoT means better driving experiences, increased transport efficiency, safeguarded journey comfort and enhanced connectivity between cars and OEMs.