The connected car has begun to be part of our lives. The union between ICT and automotive manufacturers has been growing exponentially in recent years, joining two worlds so far separated and yet today becoming a reality .
Already more present than future, the connected car has begun to be part of our lives. The union between ICT and automotive manufacturers has been growing exponentially in recent years, joining two worlds so far separated and yet today becoming a reality .
From this union arises the consideration of the car as a device connected to the communications net and, therefore, accessible globally through the net. Progress in communication technologies such as 4G and soon 5G will reduce time and latency in communications, enabling the vehicle to communicate and interact with elements of its environment or enabling the use of ICT within the vehicle, and also allowing the acquisition and exploitation of data in real-time, for example, to be treated in Big data systems. Millions of vehicles in the world are an excellent source of information!
The market penetration of this technology is currently exponential and the forecast is that, by 2020, 70% of the vehicles will be connected to the net through a virtual SIM card. However, connected vehicles already exist on the market, and in 2018, 32% of vehicles were already connected. We will no longer think, therefore, of only buying a car, but also a device connected to the net, it is even possible to think that this will modify the manufacturers business model.
An infinite world of possibilities
Currently, cars are fully wired and it is possible to extract any information or signal from the vehicle through their data buses. With these new technologies, the information can be used and shared with other devices and applications and also make it accessible through the net, for consultation from any location. It opens, therefore, an infinite scope of new functionalities, in areas such as security, assisted driving, early detection of breakdowns or incidents, online software update, vehicle configuration from mobile devices, entertainment services etc. Likewise, from an information exploitation point of view, having millions of devices issuing data worldwide will allow information to be obtained, for example, weather forecasts, traffic status forecasts, insurance personalization depending on the driving style etc.
In short, a new area of development in which to position itself, which offers a multitude of possibilities and that, in the coming years, will generate a significant volume of business.
In Altia, we have participated and are participating in projects linked to the connected car, working mainly as a manufacturer PSA. Having addressed two ID projects subsidized with funds from the CDTI, CAREASYAPPS and SAT2CAR.
The first one (CAREASYAPP), already finished and today put into operation in PSA vehicles, consists in the development of software embedded in the vehicle and a mobile development framework, which allows the implementation of mobile applications that interact and communicate with the car, a project in which we continue to participate.
The second (SAT2CAR) is a R&D project which aims via satellite communication to connect the vehicle to ensure full coverage in situations where conventional mobile networks do not operate.
And, possibly, your next car will open and start directly from your Smartphone.
Gonzalo Sanmiguel Rodríguez, Project Manager.