The connected cars of tomorrow are right around the corner. There are myriad ways the Internet of Things [IoT] will revolutionize the way we travel, whether it’s by car, bus, boat or train. Carmakers connect their vehicles to the IoT in one of two ways, or both: technology that is built-in, or embedded in a vehicle, and technology that is tethered to a mobile device you bring along for the ride. The production of embedded and/or tethered connected vehicles is forecast to increase from 12.4 million in 2016 to 61 million in 2020.
Here are the top three ways the IoT will impact travel in the future, beginning with ways in which it is already doing so.
1. Smart Car Convenience
With today’s 4G networks powering navigation systems, alerting us to traffic conditions, and feeding content to in-vehicle infotainment systems, one could argue it already has. With features like GPS-aided navigation, voice-activated infotainment systems and power ports for plug-ins galore, many vehicles are now connected, comfortable, state-of-the-art living rooms on wheels. Internet connectivity also allows the vehicle owner to analyze its performance and help diagnose problems requiring repair.
The rapid growth expected in the IoT will be driven largely by the connected vehicle “ and, ultimately, the self-driving, electrically powered vehicles that will increasingly populate our roads in the not-too-distant future.
2. Smart Car Safety
In addition to the ways connected cars are already making our lives easier, smart cars are doing things some drivers might not even be aware of. Currently, GPS-based technologies are helping prevent crashes.
Rollover correction, collision warning with automatic braking, blind spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist are just some of the ways active safety features are intervening in a vehicle’s performance automatically. Advanced towing software mitigates trailer sway. Drivers tend to overreact, first one way and then the other, when trying to bring sway under control, which only increases the sway. Using a gyroscope to detect trailer sway and GPS to determine trailer speed, the smart vehicle then applies brake pressure to individual wheels, as necessary, and adjusts engine torque to help the driver regain control.
It’s estimated that over 90 percent of car crashes are caused by human error. Eliminating the human element could lead to an 80 percent reduction in traffic accidents. If all else fails, a connected car will be able to notify first responders of the severity and exact location of a crash. In addition to fewer crashes, connected, electric vehicles will give us increased fuel economy, reduced road congestion and less pollution.
3. Too Smart to Imagine — Autonomous Vehicles
Current modes of connected transportation still require a driver. But, by as soon as 2025, not only will they not require that a driver behind the steering wheel, they won’t require a steering wheel, period. In the future, everyone is a passenger.
Autonomous vehicles have a symbiotic relationship with electric vehicles. Both employ wired rather than mechanical controls. Connectivity is the enabler of both. Urban transportation will ultimately be electric, autonomous, and on-demand. Like other smart devices, the vehicle will be an integrated component of the IoT. It will collect and use relevant driving data gathered by other vehicles on the road concerning navigation, traffic, road conditions and the like. By 2025, most new vehicles will have telematics offering these types of services to the driver.
This technology is already central to electric vehicles, which rely on navigation systems that alert the driver to the availability of charging systems at gas stations, malls, and rest stops, and to provide battery charge status updates. In the future, you’ll no longer need to drive yourself.
But self-driving, electric vehicles won’t constitute the majority of vehicles-in-use for decades. Until then, fully autonomous connected cars will have to share space on the nation’s roads with those controlled, either fully or partially, by human drivers.