Enjoy the Ride: Cars and Drives Are Better With the IoT
How can IoT improve cars and our relationship with them?
IoT is rapidly transforming the automotive industry through connectivity, data integration, and 5G internet. Connected cars’ communication and data interactions elevate the driving experience, while data powers value-added services, and 5G internet enhances road safety, says Jasmeet Singh of Infosys.
IoT tools and technologies have racked up an impressive list of automotive use cases, enabling vehicles and the driving experience to become smarter, safer, and more enjoyable. Today, an average car has anywhere between 60 and 100 sensors, while a high-end model could have more than 200. With the industry being deeply invested in the Internet of Things (IoT), it is expected that the value of IoT in the automobile market will exceed USD 286 billion by 2030.
Here are our top three picks of how the IoT is reimagining this space.
Connectivity Elevates the Car and Driving Experience
While the autonomous car is still some years away, the connected car is a reality. Simply put, a connected car is one that connects to the Internet and other external systems, usually over a wireless local area network, also known as the Internet of Vehicles.
Connected cars’ communication and data interactions can be grouped as follows:
- Vehicle to vehicle (V2V): Connected vehicles within close range can share information, such as location, speed and real-time traffic situation, or issue a safety warning if a car is getting too close. V2V communication allows ambulances and other emergency vehicles to easily navigate traffic.
- Vehicle to infrastructure (V2I): Cars can connect with road systems and infrastructure, such as traffic and streetlights, parking meters, gas stations, toll booths, and RFID readers etc., to move smoothly on the road and avoid long queues.
- Vehicle to pedestrians (V2P): A major goal of V2P connectivity is to ensure the safety of pedestrians, children in strollers, wheelchair users, cyclists etc. V2P networks also enable people to connect with taxis, pedestrian traffic lights, etc., using their smartphones.
- Vehicle to network (V2N): By enabling broadcast communications on mobile networks, V2N expands the scope of many connected vehicle applications. For example, Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems can broadcast traffic and road conditions across greater distances so drivers can act well in advance.
Even connectivity within the car, between the vehicle and its passengers, has several exciting use cases. For example, Jaguar Land Rover has cars with the intelligence to learn the behavior and preferences of users; based on that, the cars adjust temperature and other comfort settings, play the right entertainment, alert users to upcoming events on their calendar, etc. Because the car can connect with its owner’s refrigerator, it can even remind them to stock up while driving past a grocery store.
Inbuilt smart infotainment systems allow passengers to connect their smartphones to the car’s gadgets – music system or GPS – to play music, navigate the road, or get information about services in the vicinity with a voice command. These systems also offer driver assistance and safety features such as rear-view data, video recording, and night vision cameras. Telematics and real-time alert systems alert the owner’s smartphone in case someone tries to force the car open. The car can also call the authorities for help in the event of a fire or any other emergency.
Data Powers Decisions and Value-added Services
Connected vehicles enable the creation of various data-driven services. Also, a connected car enables quick responses and timely decisions by sharing information inside or with external systems in real-time.
A big benefit of this is predictive maintenance. Sensors fitted on trucks connect to their telematics systems to gather a variety of data about sound, light, temperature, pressure, motion, etc. Any fluctuation in this data could indicate a mechanical issue in a vehicle, for example, low tire pressure or a dip in engine performance. Since this data is being relayed to the cloud or a mobile phone in real-time and is therefore always accessible, fleet managers can fix the problem early on, even before the truck breaks down. What’s more, the sensors pinpoint the exact source of the problem, so maintenance personnel know exactly which part to replace.
While usage-based insurance has been around for a while, the IoT is giving it momentum. Telematics systems can gather, process, and transmit information on driving patterns and behavior to enable insurance companies to tailor their policies and terms for every driver and also detect fraudulent claims.
OEMs can also monetize their data by packaging it into various services or even building new business models based on it. For example, they can, in partnership with a vendor and AI platform, convert driver demographics, trip information, and other data into personalized value-added services, such as parking assistance, charging station reservation, behavior/location-based advertising, mobile commerce, and more.
See More: Determining the ‘Value-Added’ Activities of a Process
5G Internet Improves Road Safety
On the road, a faster response time saves lives. 5G networks’ extremely low latency can make a huge difference to road safety by enabling better traffic management and warning drivers early of any hazards in their path. With the spread of 5G connectivity, cars will be able to “see” blind spots from a distance, avoid forward collisions, and be forewarned if another car has run a red light. The driving experience also becomes frictionless because drivers know (in real-time) which roads to avoid, what is the fastest route, and where there’s a free parking slot available.
See More: Rapid 5G Growth Drives Latest Automotive Innovations
Drive Smarter with IoT
The number of connected cars on the road grew 18% in 2023. Over 900 million connected cars are expected to be on the road at the start of the next decade. As these cars communicate and exchange more data than ever over the IoT, riding on 5G networks where available, they will transform the driving experience for the better – making it safer, smarter, more efficient and enjoyable.
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Image Source: Shutterstock
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