The Internet of Things (IoT) is expeditiously changing the way we live and experience technology as it is restructuring several sectors. With this advancement, we are experiencing an enriched lifestyle and thus, the automotive industry is constantly trying to scale up its potential with IoT.
With the introduction of IoT in automotive, the industry has explored a completely new era. The Internet of Things (IoT) has made it possible to interact with our vehicles. This advanced technology has already made cars safer, smarter, and interconnected. It helps in saving time and money. Also, enhances the driving experience.
The automobile sector is one of the biggest manufacturing industries in the world. According to the Independent market research, “Automotive IoT Market by Platform-Global Forecast to 2025” by GlobeNewswire predicts the automotive IoT market to grow at a CAGR of 16.4% from 2019 to 2025 and reach $541.73 billion by 2025.
The term ‘automotive IoT’ refers to embedding IoT technologies into automotive systems to create new applications and solutions which enable vehicles to provide a smarter, safer, efficient, and more comfortable driving experiences. It also refers to a complex system of devices (e.g., GPS Trackers, Sensors, Cameras) that are connected to the cloud and provide real-time data that enables optimization of the car manufacturing process and better transport management.
The arrival of IoT in the automotive industry has opened new roads for carmakers and buyers across the world. From connected cars to automated transport systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) has made a deep dent in the global automotive market. With its usage at both industrial and commercial levels, IoT in the automotive sector has become a promising hotspot for multi-purpose applications.
IoT connectivity, smart sensors and gadgets, edge computing, mobile apps, and cloud services are going to totally change the way how you use and interact with your automobiles. IoT solutions turn vehicles into smarter means of transportation that enable AI-powered driving assistance, predictive maintenance, and direct car-to-car interaction. It also enhances road safety and driving efficiency for individuals and businesses alike. Car manufacturers also use IoT to automate production processes to enhance quality control and reduce the likelihood of human error. It also aids in better performance.
IoT technologies are used in the automotive sector to create innovative and advanced solutions, including connected car solutions, Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), in-vehicle infotainment systems, navigation & telematics solutions, predictive maintenance solutions, Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) applications, Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) applications, and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication applications.
ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) is an umbrella term used for various types of active safety systems in vehicles which allow drivers to take timely control of the vehicle by alerting them of potential hazards on the road. ADAS systems scan the surroundings of the vehicle using vision, RADAR and LIDAR-based in-vehicle systems and provide assistance to the driver for a safer and more comfortable driving experience. Some key ADAS features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning Systems, Collision Warning Systems, Blind Spot Detection Systems, Night Vision Systems, and Parking Assistance Systems.
ADAS systems can be classified into three main categories based on the technologies they use:
IoT is the main driver of modern in-vehicle infotainment systems. IoT enables infotainment systems to be connected with other in-vehicle systems, and also with external devices for internet connectivity. IoT-enabled infotainment systems are capable of providing information on navigation and telematics. They also provide a range of entertainment options and support connectivity with smartphones. Android-based infotainment systems, supported and encouraged by Google, are ready to transform the market. Such infotainment systems will support a range of apps, including Google Maps, Google Assistant and several apps from the Play Store.
IoT gateway platforms for automotive provide connectivity to in-vehicle sensors, helping to generate and deliver preventive and predictive maintenance alerts to the driver. In-vehicle sensors keep track of the vehicle’s functional metrics such as acceleration, tire pressure, engine temperature, fuel level, engine-oil, brake fluid level, emissions, and more, and notify the driver of any of the probable issues in advance.
Telematics is a technology supported by telecommunication and IT systems, used to monitor and track a vehicle’s location, movements and other vehicle diagnostics details. Automotive telematics systems can track real time details of the vehicle like speed and idling, fuel usage, tire pressure, vehicle breakdown etc.
Telematics systems supported by IoT technologies are transforming fleet management and vehicle transportation industry by enabling more accurate and in-depth tracking of vehicles. IoT technologies integrated with telematics systems enhance business processes by managing interconnectivity between in-vehicle devices, cloud architecture, and the systems located in fleet management companies to record, and interact with vehicles in-transit, in real time. IoT solutions empower telematics systems to easily customize its services as per industry requirement and the nature of the business.
Three types of telematics solutions are available in the market:
Telematics systems are very useful in tracking fleet operations. Some of the advantages of telematics systems in fleet management are as follows:
In-vehicle infotainment systems provide information and entertainment in a vehicle, which includes music streaming, phone to infotainment system connectivity, navigation, video player, in-car internet, hands free calling, etc.
On the other hand, telematics strictly adheres to informatics and does not support entertainment features in the vehicle. Telematics systems and their applications are mostly designed to serve a commercial objective through the vehicle, like fleet tracking solutions, navigations, telematics for insurance, two-way communication to send on-board vehicular data, vehicle diagnostics and maintenance notifications, sending alerts in case of vehicle collision, etc.
Latest In- vehicle infotainment system comprises of Integrated Heads-up unit to display vehicle’s real time information like navigation, speed, multimedia etc. It also has Head Unit – a centralized control center for the system, Operating systems like Android, Linux, WNX, Windows, to support connectivity and functions, powerful DSPs, and GPUs to assist information display in multiple screens simultaneously, CANBUS, digital instrument cluster to display speedometer, RPM, odometer digitally.
Some of the high-end features of modern in-vehicle infotainment systems are high-resolution touch screen (up to 20 inches wide), smartphone pairing using Bluetooth connectivity, and digital tuners for radio, multimedia support through Aux cable, Bluetooth, USB, and HDMI cable. Android auto and apple car play with advanced vehicular functions like parking assistance, voice assistants are also key features of infotainment systems.
Over-the air software updates is one of the trending automotive connectivity solutions. It keeps vehicle up-to-date with regular updates to its firmware and software and remotely fix faulty software. OTA updates supported by IoT cloud connectivity are helpful in updating latest files to assist applications like infotainment, telematics, ADAS systems, ECUs, and more.
Automotive surround view system provides better visibility and orientation (360-degrees) around the vehicle, and helps in mitigating collisions, and other vehicle damages during lane change, parking, and maneuvering. It consists of four fish eyed cameras installed in rear, front and both sides of the vehicle and provides 2D (bird’s eye view) and 3D representation of vehicles surroundings.
Human Machine Interface in automotive can be considered as information exchange and communication channel between driver/ passengers and the vehicle which connects them with the outside world. Automotive HMI solutions is a key to emerging autonomous vehicle trends, which ensures integration of infotainment systems with ADAS, V2V, V2I and V2X connectivity solutions.
eInfochips, as an automotive engineering solutions provider, assists automotive companies in vehicular electronics, embedded systems development, software development, and cloud connectivity for connected cars. Some of the automotive solutions offered by eInfochips include:
