The Curious Technologist
Connected Cars: We Have the Technology, But Lack the Standards
Consumers used to approach their cars as mechanical devices. More and more, though, they now sit in a vehicle and expect a whole experience to surround them. And like almost everything else in the 21st century, that experience is required to be interconnected.
“This ties in with the drive toward smart adaptive environments and the Internet of Everything,” says Mike Vidikan, on the Trends & Foresight team at Innovaro. He gives one example of what that means:
“You will want your car to communicate with your home so the AC can kick on and cool the house just before you arrive.” That’s one proposition, anyway, among a list of other features designers want to include.
- Connected cars will self-diagnose their problems, report on them and tell you where the nearest mechanic or auto part store is located.
- Your vehicle will begin to proactively navigate you away from traffic snarls and other delays.
- Safety benefits: your car will become a reactive partner during your drive. It’ll say, “Hey, watch out for that van on the left.”
And if recent examples serve to illustrate a trend, this portfolio of features and capabilities will come from team efforts.
