ERS blog ? The User Experience ? Connected Automobiles

?If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.? ? Henry Ford

Automobiles have come a long way since the days they were invented as a mode of transportation. Today, they are increasingly being recognized as modern ?computers on wheels.?? Computers in various forms are an integral part of today?s vehicles.? The major areas where technology is making its presence felt in an automobile are in the powertrain, telematics, vehicle security system, comfort and convenience, and body electronics.

Technology has been around for a long, long time. However, the emergence of the ?User Experience? is the single most significant factor that has transformed human-machine interaction.? New product designs with a ?user? focus have built the success stories in the ubiquitous mobile and social computing world.

An automobile is the most omnipresent form of man-machine interface.? No wonder a large emphasis?? is reflected in recent technology development trends in vehicular systems.

According to iSuppli: ITRI/IEK (2010/05), the global automotive electronics system market is estimated at US? $8.56 billion in 2010, and should reach US $107.9 billion by 2014. In 2009, OEM telematics accounted for 25% of the overall car market (including OEM onboard audio video equipment, entertainment systems, information systems and integrated navigation).

A Govt. of India study says the major global technology trends in automobiles include hybrid/electric vehicles, navigation systems, voice control, and compliance to emission norms.

A quick look at the trends establishes a shift in the sphere of influence for design toward the ?User Experience.? Systems that aid the driver through navigation or go-green, eco-friendly cars are solutions with the user at the core of their design.

The dawning of the smart phone age has ushered in a new era where being mobile is being connected and being smarter in availing a host of services on the go.??

Today, we are observing an amalgamation of trends where the future car is a smart connected product designed with the utmost care on the core ethos of the ?User Experience.? ??

Automobile manufacturers want to stay connected with their customer after the vehicle is sold, beyond just periodic scheduled services.? Global auto majors are exploring cloud computing technology to lead innovative services.

A case in point would be Ford Motors and their association with Telenav in car navigation and beyond.

The possibilities are endless. Traffic updates in real time, route planning and assistance in terms of optimal drive, and weather updates could be few services delivered. The next level could be personalization per individual preference, e.g. as the vehicle drives in a mall, the driver receives an update on the best deals available, or something? his/her best friend bought last week, about which s/he intends to share a review with friends.

Another dimension of being connected could be your home.? On a hot summer day, one may want to turn on the A/C while still a few kms away from home,? or ensure the home surveillance system is active, or even turn off the water sprinkler which was accidentally left on while hurriedly leaving for work.

Health is wealth. In today?s competitive world, as we rush through our daily motions, an important aspect missing is taking care of health. What if the time spent in traffic could be utilized for preventive healthcare by monitoring the driver?s vital statistics?

These are services which satisfy some of our daily needs, and for which we will happily spend the extra dollar/rupee. What it means for the automobile manufacturer is additional revenue beyond the sale of the vehicle while ensuring customer loyalty.

There are few intrinsic factors that can help translate this into reality.

Technology is the key.? It has to be available anywhere, everywhere, and what better than something that is accessible over the internet. It has to be scalable, robust, and provided on demand. Also, the expectation is real-time updates through complex analysis by analyzing large amounts of data.? Also, we need to be aware of the limited computational resources onboard the vehicle, and any limitations related to upgrades that new services might require.

Here, cloud computing creates a viable option with its vast reach and possibilities. The automobile manufacturer can bring in an array of services on a cloud computing platform which can be offered on a subscription model.

A GPS device can provide vehicle location. It can be also achieved through triangulation based on the mobile service onboard. Customer applications can correlate the data with available traffic info to assist in route planning. A separate input can go to the vehicle?s onboad ECU to optimize power delivery for an efficient drive.

A backend business intelligence tool can analyze prior preferential data to deliver beneficial information.?

Ericsson predicts there will be 50 billion connected devices in the world by 2020. This means a huge opportunity for machine-to-machine communication services.? An M2M platform over cloud with an app in the vehicle can provide complete control of your house while on the go.

A few sensors can be installed to capture data on cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, pulse, etc. This could be fed to a backend database on cloud with an intelligent tool that alerts or warns the caregiver and/or family about health anomalies.

As the platform is created, the choice of content delivery by subscription opens up infinite avenues. The competition in a market with diminishing margins is presenting a challenge for auto majors to cut costs while still delivering innovation and improved customer satisfaction.

Cloud computing, and the opportunities it brings, could just be the answer the industry is looking for to fuel? the next level of growth.

References:

http://www.telenav.com/products/auto/

http://gigaom.com/2010/04/14/ericsson-sees-the-internet-of-things-by-2020/

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Source: http://ers.hclblogs.com/2012/03/the-user-experience-%E2%80%93-connected-automobiles/

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