Car IT: Would You Let Your Car Drive Itself?
Author: Berthold Puchta, CSC
Survey Shows 61 Percent of Drivers Favor Connecting with Traffic Lights over Internet
Traffic congestion, road construction and traffic lights can ruin the driving experience. In Germany, drivers want intelligent aids to help them avoid these obstacles. In fact, some 39 percent of Germans are even willing to surrender the control of brakes, gas pedal and steering to an on-board computer, according to a recent CSC survey of more than 1,000 Germans drivers.
The magic word for the new generation of electronic systems is networking – in the future, cars will be able to automatically exchange traffic information. Based on the survey, 69 percent of Germans favor using the networked car to warn road users about accidents. Some 61 percent are in favor of integrating traffic lights into the data network so that traffic flow can be optimized by intelligent traffic light changes.
Car services in the cloud
These options are not utopian or very far in the future. Carmakers such as BMW or VW expect to have mass-produced vehicles as “Internet nodes on wheels” rolling off the assembly line in just two years.
Transportation research shows that this level of connectivity could significantly improve traffic conditions by easing the “shock waves” responsible for stop and go traffic. Everyone has experienced this phenomenon: the first car in the traffic jam brakes suddenly and the next drive also must come to a halt.
As a rule these maneuvers come in waves. However, if there is sufficient distance between cars, there is no shock wave and vehicles continue forward without braking. Police cars frequently perform this function and slowly break up congestion. In future, this will be done by networked onboard computers.
Linking to the Internet also provides a range of possibilities for additional services. These include, for example, regular updates of the software used in the vehicle but also access to electronic remote maintenance that can replace some visits to the shop.
That is because in many cases errors in the electronics can be solved by resetting the corresponding control units. A cloud-based service also offers the option of unlocking vehicle performance settings on-demand. For example, in principle many automakers use chip settings to set power for identical engines. A driver who wants to go on vacation with a trailer and needs more traction power for the vehicle would be able to quickly access extra horsepower via the Internet.
Location-based services
Drivers currently prefer supplemental services that have no direct impact on vehicle technology. For example, three out of four Germans want their car to be able to compare gas prices on the Internet and recommend the quickest route to the cheapest gas station. About two thirds of potential customers value information on the closest free parking space. That particularly requires integration into Car IT. Many of these services already exist via smartphone apps.
As a result manufacturers are moving away from isolated technological solutions, creating links for conventional consumer end-products instead. Ordinary Smartphones can also replace expensive features such as navigation systems with inexpensive apps. For these reasons, many customers are reluctant to pay more for these technologies.
Linking mobile devices
The industry is using two current developments to put Car IT and mobile devices on a joint platform. On the one hand, Long Term Evolution (LTE) already provides high-performance transmission technology. On the other, automakers have long been cooperating with the manufacturers of control devices and control software.
The goal is to uniformly program functions such as power windows, windshield wipers, radios or seat adjustments for all manufacturers. Thus AUTOSAR-compliant (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) apps make it possible for mobile devices to replace traditional controls in the central control panel of a car. Complete configurations can be saved on a smartphone and, for example, be used directly in car sharing or in rental cars – the individual settings are available independent of the vehicle in question.
IT security in focus
But this form of network link requires a uniform security concept. Some 71 percent of Germans are rightly afraid that their cars will be attacked by hacking. That is because so far a car has been a closed system that allows only physical access.
However Internet, mobile devices and cloud-based services represent three possible new threats that can, for example, sneak malware into Car IT. Nothing would be worse than an electronic vulnerability which, for example, allows the car to be controlled by others while driving on the highway.
Therefore, we are increasingly seeing alliances going beyond the auto industry with chip producers, software architects and network operators to meet these challenges. Overall, the various industries are increasingly growing together.
This article was written by Berthold Puchta, general manager, Global Automotive Solutions, CSC.
