Cars are increasingly connecting to their surroundings, smartphones and other vehicles.

How car connectivity is driving the future of mobility

The future of car connectivity has landed

Cars of the future will be software-driven, smartphone-connected, satellite-networked, cloud-compatible machines, capable of analyzing and learning from data and communicating with drivers and other cars. The thing is, the future is actually here and now. Some cars produced today come with over 50 connectivity features. Such connectivity enables vehicles to inform drivers about road and traffic conditions, thereby decreasing the risk of road incidents, as well as provide more intuitive access to infotainment systems or the freedom to control a vehicle from outside the car. Ultimately, it will drastically improve the safety, comfort and convenience of driving, not only for drivers but also all industry players and even pedestrians.

Telematics is a central theme when it comes to car connectivity as it involves transferring real-time data over long distances. Telematics consists of hardware and software, which incorporate some type of cellular communication, essentially converting vehicles into information stations. Continental’s Intelligent Antenna Module, an interface between the car and the outside world, uses telematics to enable a car to receive and share information with infrastructure, other cars, smartphones, cellular networks, satellite navigation and radio broadcast using WiFi, WLAN, LTE, GNSS and other forms of wireless communication .

Vehicle to Everything (V2X)

Vehicle cameras, sensors and radars enable it to sense and analyse its entire surrounding

Vehicle to vehicle (v2v) communication involves cars sharing data on speed and road conditions to create an ad-hoc network among vehicles, without a server. For example, one car could communicate directly with another car about black ice on a road in almost real-time. Vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication, on the other hand, utilizes computer vision systems, such as intelligent front cameras to detect traffic signs or obstacles, and evaluate them and then provide warnings to the driver. But these technologies are no longer mutually exclusive – they continually work in parallel to enable V2X communication.

Continental’s Intelligent Image Processing Algorithm reconstructs the image under the vehicle and inserts this image exactly into the surround view displayed to the driver. If the system detects another road user in front of the vehicle, for example, it automatically initiates emergency braking in order to avoid a collision. In the future, such intelligence will also be linked to several satellite cameras, which provide an all-round view of the vehicle environment from a bird’s eye perspective. Cars of the future could even identify a motorcyclist approaching rapidly from behind and the system could warn the driver or even prevent the vehicle from changing lanes as planned. Future functionalities could measure a driver’s brain activity, predict and anticipate their behavior and prevent them from engaging in unsafe driving practices.

Look at the whole picture

Satellite cameras will provide information on traffic and road conditions and communicate this to cars.

Similar technology utilizes a ‘swarm intelligent system’ and camera systems to classify road conditions and create a dynamic friction chart to forecast how well the car tires will grip to the road in question. Continental’s eHorizon uses this technology to recognize changing speed limits, topology, lane markings or slippery sections on the road. It can interpret the state of the entire route, warn of city tolls and pass this information on to other vehicles traveling there.

One incredibly important application of V2X communications technology is increasing safety on the roads for cyclists and pedestrians. According to WHO’s Global Status Report, in 2018 there were 1.35 million road traffic deaths and roughly one quarter of these constitute pedestrians or cyclists. Continental’s Digital Shield allows a user’s smartphone to host a software application that can send the individual’s position, direction and speed to a server. This data is relayed to nearby vehicles and if the trajectories indicate a risk, for example a car turning blindly onto a road with a cyclist, the system can issue a warning and reduce the risk of a dangerous situation. Users’ can simply use the technology they already have on them, making its lifesaving repercussions inclusive and widespread.

As we’ve already seen, smartphones are crucial in the application of car connectivity. To further this, Continental’s VoicR app lets drivers broadcast voice messages to other nearby users via a public or personalized channel in real-time. Automated valet parking even allows vehicles to drive through a barrier and find a free parking space while the driver waits at the gate. Additional apps include digital roadside assistance, which automatically shares a vehicle’s GPS details in the case of an incident and can even contact relevant emergency services if the airbags are deployed. Smartwatch connectivity is also on the rise, providing remote access to in-car features like engine start/stop and stolen vehicle alert.

Collecting and learning from data

As the automobile industry creates ever increasing amounts of data, cloud services will become increasingly important for storage and transfer, satellites and servers will gain importance in speeding up communication and AI and machine learning will become vital in improving and simplifying services. Cloud services enable remote cloud key and provide safe demand car access, which is vital for car sharing platforms and ease of use. Continental’s vAnalytics is a cloud-based service platform that gathers data from a variety of sources, gains insightful analyses and uses these to resolve pain points. Blockchain technologies accelerate direct and decentralized data sharing so that data can be shared in an efficient way and can more accurately inform future updates and services.

ContiConnect communicates with sensors inside a tire and is networked to the company premises via satellite. It allows drivers to constantly monitor loss of air pressure and avoid dangerous punctures, while also reducing mobility costs for fleet managers. Satellites could also create a 3D mobility ecosystem and enable over-the-air updates, which would lead to smart update solutions for the entire vehicle, from the powertrain to infotainment systems.

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