IoT IN AUTOMOTIVES
Internet of Things abbreviated IoT is the emerging technical jargon in recent years. When I began to surf more on the topic and its applications, I realised that IoT has subconsciously inspired us even way back.
As a self proclaimed Marvel fan, the best example is Tony Stark’s impressive implementation of Iot in his home computing system J.A.R.V.I.S. With holographic peripherals and automation enabled through big data and cloud computing to even assisting Tony to navigate through his ironman suit, J.A.R.V.I.S possesses all the characteristics of IoT namely connectivity, scalability, intelligence/identity, self configuration and so on.
Though the reel idea seemed a bit futuristic back then, we are now closer to it in reality. So lets delve right into our topic- IoT in Automotives.
Autonomous cars is the first thing that strikes our minds. Possibly the biggest breakthrough of this century, self driving cars (notably Tesla ) owes its popularity to the embedding of IoT solutions.
Google’s successful self driving prototype used a variety of sensors like LIDAR(Light detection and ranging) and ITS(Intelligent Transportation System). IoT comes into play where through the Internet gateway, real time stats are transmitted to the server and database on the cloud system and the received information is mapped and analysed- [Predictive Analytics]
According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
“The whole Tesla fleet operates as a network. When one car learns something, they all learn it.”
American drivers spend on average a whopping 17 hours per year looking for parking. Parking sensors is an IoT device used to detect obstacles during parking.It also scans for parking spots without much ado thus making the job hassle free. Automated car parking is one such maneuvering system in ADAS(Advanced Driver Assisted Systems),yet another application of IoT.
Blind-spot monitoring systems and Omniview technology(360 degree view)involves cameras and embedded sensors to alert drivers of obstacles and work in conjunction with emergency braking system.Blind spots are the places which the driver cannot see while driving eg:back of the car.
By the usage of Event Data Logging (EDR), it is possible to characterize the reality of accidents and transfer it through IoT, aiding collision avoidance, and thus troubleshoting components responsible for the problem. Pedestrian Protection Systems mitigate possibilty of injuries to passerbys.
To control the output pollutants of vehicles, IoT has been used to characterize the vehicle exhaust emissions and inform the vehicle owner about emission quality corresponding to which necessary measures can be taken.
Driver Monitoring Systems and Alcohol Ignition Interlock devices detects alcohol consumption by the driver and does not allow the vehicle to start.
It is possible to develop a BMoS(Battery Monitoring System) for monitoring the performance and operation of lead acid batteries in IoT-based smart microgrid systems. Further damage is halted and shelf life is increased. The embedded system employed as an IoT can be a Raspberry Pi Model 2.
Vehicular communication systems are categorised as : vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X). Vehicles to exchange information with each other. All of the above aids in remote monitoring-Vehicle Telematics.
With the advent of 4G LTE, compatible third party apps developed for the purpose of entertainment and navigation is a huge source of monetisation. For example, Google maps, Apple carplay.
However ethical concerns still exist due to technological error, auto and cyber liability. Voice commands are often misinterpeted. With the complexity of systems, there are many ways for them to fail. About 250 million IoT-equipped vehicles were in existence till 2020, and the IoT-market value will pinnacle from $ 20 billion in 2016 to $ 100 billion in 2023. We as engineers have the first-mover advantage in this allied field which is one more reason to enter this market right now and innovate.
