Find out why it's not just your GPS system signalling a change of direction, but also the entire automotive industry!
In 2018, we are in a transitional period. Many years ago, car manufacturers competed with each other over power. Now it's about seamless integration with digital lifestyles. As consumers continue to focus on this concept, car manufacturers are moving forward, trying to meet needs that consumers may not even know they have.
Here's a look at the technologies that car manufacturers are testing on the road to consumer acceptance.
Digitally Controlled Voice Assistants
Imagine getting into your car and your car greets you. It then fully presents the current weather conditions and suggests a new podcast episode you're likely to enjoy. In 2018, this vision is still a fantasy. Although voice control has been available in cars for over a decade, consumers find the limitations of the systems frustrating. For example, a 2016 Strategy Analytics report showed that drivers used the systems less because they expected more than the systems offered.
Natural Voice Assistants
In 2018, the goal is not voice recognition, but NATURAL voice recognition — that is, speaking in a simple way, instead of using a list of pre-made commands. Older car systems were built into cars and had limited memory and computing power. But newer systems are cloud-based and can offer the ability to talk to the car without knowing a list of commands. For example, Ford will integrate Amazon in some models. Others have incorporated Apple Siri, Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant into their dashboards.
Some car brands are taking a different approach. Hyundai Intelligent Voice Assistant, which is to be powered by AI in 2019, can understand complex commands such as "Tell me what the weather will be like tomorrow" or "Turn off the lights." Mercedes-Benz user experiences are being used by artificial intelligence to understand that when the driver says "I'm cold," the car should raise the temperature by a few degrees.
VR and AR Integration
Virtual Test Drives
This cornerstone of car marketing, the test drive, is being taken in new, technologically improved directions with the emergence of AR and VR integration.
Buick and Kia presented a VR-based test drive at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show. Peugeot also used VR technology to let consumers take a test drive from their sofas. Recently, Cadillac persuaded dealers to use virtual showrooms. Some Audi dealerships allow customers to explore the entire model line using VR simulation.
Another application for AR is inside the car itself. GM, for example, is experimenting with an AR windshield. Such a feature could highlight cyclists so the driver can't miss them, and could additionally display Facebook news feeds, directions and weather reports.
V2X
V2X – Road Safety
With the arrival of fast 5G wireless networks, we are entering a new era in which cars will be the next IoT device. Real-world use cases are still rare so far, although a good example is GM's Cadillac CTX sport V2V technology, which enables communication with other Cadillac CTXes. If you drive a CTX or another model, the system will relay information about hazards encountered on the road.
GM also tested V2X technology with a smart traffic signal that tells the driver whether to brake or accelerate before the yellow light turns red. For its part, Ford announced that its V2X technology will be available on roads by 2019.
The main advantage of V2X is safety. Cars can use it to broadcast speed, steering position, brake status and other variables to other vehicles and objects within a radius of several hundred metres. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes that V2X could prevent more than 500,000 accidents and 1,000 fatalities annually. One can imagine that further down the road, V2X could also do other things, such as alerting the driver when a petrol station is nearby when the tank is empty, or flagging a 7-Eleven when the car knows its driver needs to pick up milk on the way home, if the system is connected to a smart fridge.
Biometrics
Imagine Apple's Touch ID for your car. In fact, Gentex is pursuing this idea, using eye recognition in the rear-view mirror to recognise irises that can start the car. Although there are few examples of implementation by major car manufacturers, Lanctot said that car manufacturers and their suppliers "are obsessed with personalising the driving experience." Biometrics offers both a security and a personalisation solution.
Everything indicates that in a few years most cars will recognise you through your presence and pressure on the driver's seat, sensors in the seat belt, facial scanning embedded in the headliner or dashboard, and perhaps even sensors in the steering wheel, along with gesture recognition.
What are the downsides? The main concern is the misuse of user privacy. However, most drivers will accept the trade-off if driving provides a more pleasant experience.
Summary
The article presents the directions of automotive technology development in 2018, from cloud-based voice assistants, through virtual and augmented realities in showrooms and windshields, to advanced V2X systems.
The key conclusion is the enormous potential of V2X to improve safety — according to NHTSA data, this technology could prevent hundreds of thousands of accidents annually. Along with advancing biometrics, manufacturers are striving to create a fully personalised and safe driving experience, balancing on the edge of driver privacy.
