Introduction and security worries
What has the computing power of 20 personal computers, includes about 100 million lines of programming code, and processes up to 25 gigabytes of data an hour? The connected car is often sold as an enhanced experience for drivers, but vehicles able to optimise their own operation, maintenance, and get online, could develop into one of the next decade's major challenges for the tech industry.
What is a connected car?
Thus far it's been shorthand for 'automotive infotainment systems' – including internet radio and weather reports – that drivers can use, usually via a touchscreen dashboard interface. Connectivity is via cellular networks; each vehicle has a SIM installed.
"With our global platform we can put a single SIM into any vehicle wherever it's manufactured, and wherever it's going, to light it up on those local networks," says Chris Penrose, AT&T Senior Vice President of Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions. His inclusive Drive Studio innovation programme involves consumer electronics and app developers including LG, Samsung, Qualcomm, Ericsson, Jasper, Subaru, AccuWeather, Eventseeker, Stitcher, Dash, Gylmpse, iHeart Radio and Accenture.
AT&T Drive – found behind connected car interfaces in Audi, General Motors, Tesla and Volvo vehicles – is one of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) platforms that car makers can customise to their own ends, and fill with their own apps, as they create their own connected vehicle clouds.
Another nice bonus (and sure to catch the imagination in the early days of the connected car) is the Wi-Fi hotspot that all connected cars create for passengers. However, whether the concept of the connected car catches on at all will depend on how eager drivers are to pay yet another monthly data fee.
Another Google versus Apple scenario?
This isn't the VHS versus Betamax battle it's often painted as being; no car maker would commit to building something as valuable as a car on a smartphone OS. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – which all connected car OEM platforms can play nicely with – are focused only on integrating with mobile devices. It's likely that global, modular OEM platforms will flourish simply because they let car makers pick and choose the elements they want for their next car, and fully customise the front-end branding.
What are the major IT challenges for the connected car?
"There needs to be a continued focus on software development and competence in the auto market," says Brian Droessler, Vice President, Software & Connected Solutions Interior Division, Continental Corporation Business Unit Infotainment and Connectivity. "When an issue does happen the auto-maker needs to embrace update technology – consumers are ready to do it on their mobile device, and we need to bring it over from the consumer electronics industry."
It could drastically change the value of a car. "You're trying to bring together a lot of different technologies into a single environment, so the biggest challenge is enabling the car to stay as current with upgrades as the phones and tablets being brought into them," says Penrose. "We're doing a lot of work on OTA upgrades, and we want to get to a point where the car actually gets better as you drive it off the lot, and it keeps on getting better – it's challenging but a really big opportunity."
Network integration and security issues
There are a bundle of other IT issues surrounding autonomous driving, and both car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications, all of which are next on the list for the connected car.
"There's a lot of IT integration work that's going to have to go into all the different standards of communication between wide area networks, between local networks, and how to amass all of this information," says Penrose. "Even in the event that the macro network is not there, things still have to work, particularly for autonomous self-driving cars."
There's also a security issue since the car is likely to become the major connected device for many. "Wireless locks, wireless cameras in homes – these are all vulnerable, and the same applies to vehicles," says Andreas Mai, Director Smart Connected Vehicle, Cisco. "We need end-to-end architecture that spans from the chip level of the CPU to the network of the vehicle to the gateway of the vehicle, and up to the cloud to protect against cybercrimes."
Obsolescence and wearables
Can a connected car go out of date?
Not the software and apps – that's the whole point – but the hardware can; think resistive touchscreens versus capacitive touchscreens (either way, your next car will have a touchscreen). However, since the software is cloud-based expect frequent OTA upgrades to connected cars' infotainment systems. Meanwhile, remote diagnostics will help manufacturers identify problems faster, with OTA updates issued automatically to vehicles to help fix problems without the need for a drive to the dealership.
What other technology will be found in connected cars?
Infotainment is just the start. As well as internet radio and smarter in-car navigation, think remote diagnostics obtained automatically by the manufacturer, telematics information on speed and driving style sent to insurers, and both speech and gesture recognition. Cars are already fitted with sensors for lane-detection – expect a plethora of proximity sensors and cameras to record and even relay traffic incidents in real-time.
This could lead to vehicle-to-vehicle communications and the crowd-sourcing of micro driving tips detected via cars' sensors, such as detecting ice on one corner and relaying that information to the vehicles behind.
"There are already a lot of sensors doing lane detection, so perhaps we need a second added layer that lets vehicles exchange information about a driver's intent," says Penrose. "There's just so much potential for real-time exchange of data to make driving safer, but the driver won't be involved at all." That, of course, is the eventual end-game; the self-driving, autonomous car.
How will wearables be integrated into the connected car?
Although some wearables – notably LG's G Watch – have been touted as a navigational device for drivers to glance at while they're driving, that's not the kind of integration most companies are considering for the connected cars of the future. There is a big focus on navigation, but it's more about hopping between devices seamlessly.
"I start in my car using in-car navigation, then I park my car, but I may not yet be at my final destination, so I push my walking directions for the last 500m to my wrist so I can walk the rest of the way," says Penrose. "We're also looking at how wearables can be used for remote services, such as switching on the heater on the car, or to unlock the door."
AT&T is currently working with Samsung's Galaxy Gear software to see how its Tizen OS-based wearables can be integrated into vehicles, as well as seamless integration with phones and tablets, and VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) services.
How important is speech recognition in the connected car?
Very – it's a central tenet of the ambition to create 'multi-modal' connected cars that can be controlled hands-free. Connected cars are being developed because the majority of drivers now expect it in their next vehicle, but it all has to be delivered in a non-distracting way purely for safety reasons.
"Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel is crucial, so speech enablement is important, but so far it's been challenging because of the noisy environment in the car," says Penrose. "But it needs to be both natural language and contextual." Conversational, contextual tech – such as from speech processing toolbox VoiceBox – is likely to grow in use since it allows follow-up questions, and also allows gesture and touch.
Not all connected devices are equal, and the connected car could become one of the biggest and most important connected devices out there. However, if Frost & Sullivan's report predicting that by 2020 more than 90% of vehicles on the road will be connected is to come true, there are busy times ahead for IT integrators, network specialists and app developers.
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