What New Features Can Be Added To A Car Without Significant Investment On Hardware?
Now the answer to this question is lying hidden in the heart of Internet of Things technology. This enables the devices in the car to interact on the same network as the Car and with added use of sensing equipment, makes it no less than a futuristic technological marvel that could only be dreamed about until a few years ago.
In the forthcoming time, Automakers will have the option to partner with companies that are data service providers that would enable them to exchange real-time data with other movable entities in a dynamic manner which would also enable Connected Car system monitoring.
A range of devices that implement Internet of Things technology can be used to activate driver safety mechanisms in the car. These systems could work in connectivity with the driver/ user's smartphone to create notifications and alert about the status of the car as well as the driver. Many devices that provide Smart Driving Assistance have already emerged globally in the recent years that prove multi-faceted and also aid for the purpose of Predictive Maintenance. They are equipped with the appropriate sensors that track and monitor the engine on the parameters of efficiency, temperature and fuel tank. These devices alert the user beforehand if a repair is required or if the car is running low on fuel.
Automated Emergency Management Services will be seeing a boost in their usage as they will be able to pinpoint the exact location in case of an accident or mishap leading to faster response time that is highly crucial in saving more lives.
An Autonomous car is any vehicle that is equipped with the ability to accelerate, brake, and steer with minimal or no driver interaction. However, due to both hardware and software limitations, this is achievable in two levels:
1. Semi-Autonomous Car: The Car that can accelerate, brake, steer, stay in the same lane and keep a fixed distance from the vehicle in the front but still needs a driver to supervise and ensure that the drive is smooth.
2. Autonomous Car: This is the ultimate automatic car that gets from one point to another on its own without any human interaction.
The design of an autonomous car has been planned with 5 important phases in mind, which are required to be accomplished in order to design a truly automatic car:-
1. R&D Phase (1966-1995): This was the longest phase for the creation of Autonomous Car as it involved core research and study into techniques that would be required to connect the car to an external network, using that network to send and receive commands and responses as well as establish two-way communication with all the devices on the network.
2. Embedded Phase (1995-2002): This phase was centred on the development of communication devices that could be embedded into the vehicle to be used as an integral part of the network and each of them having their own individual and unique function and together with the vehicle make it somewhat automated in certain respects.
3. Infotainment Phase (2007-2012): This is the phase that has very recently undergone completion to move on to the V2X era in which the vehicles can communicate with each other. This phase pushed the cars to a stage where the vehicle was capable of hosting information and entertainment applications for the user.
4. V2X phase (2012-ongoing): This is the relatively advanced era that will permit the vehicles to communicate with each other and relay all the necessary information as relayed by the sensors that are embedded technology being used. For example, a mobile or smartphone may function as a GPS device and it's connectivity with other sensors is shared with the nearby cars which interact with each other dynamically as they move on the road.
5. Mobility Phase (2020-ongoing): This phase would be the beginning of truly autonomous vehicles, which can get from any location to another without any external interaction of a driver. Some prototypes have already been developed and are on the road for thorough testing using Crash Dummies.