Climate Change

Connected Vehicle Technology Covers a Wide Array of Functions
Although safety is among the most valuable by-products of the connected vehicle, it’s hardly the only way to apply the myriad of
technologies that will make tomorrow’s cars possible. Experts separate these projected functions into three sometimes overlapping
categories:
• SAFETY has been a key focus of the automakers, federal government agencies such as the Department of Transportation (DOT) and
the Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHWA), the latter both long-term supporters of ITS research development and for
deployment at toll booths, roadways, ports and border crossings. Of crucial concern now is how drivers will actually receive safety
messages -- what’s called the human machine interface. There’s no consensus yet on utilization of nomadic devices for this purpose,
whether phones or other wireless communication tools, that will distract the driver.
• MOBILITY is primarily the purview of public transportation agencies, covering traffi c management on roads and providing public
service traffi c information, while maintaining the infrastructure needed to promote safe and effi cient transit.
• COMMERCIAL SERVICES covers all the free or paid services a vehicle driver and occupant may want to subscribe to, such as stock
quotes, sports scores, have email read aloud, etc. It also can include entertainment and consumer-related information such proximity to
service stations, restaurants, retail outlets and lodging, to name a few options.
According to Scott McCormick, founder and president of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA) based in Plymouth,
Michigan, the federal and state DOTs are interested in extending the connected vehicle to assist with everything from traffi c fl ow to
road maintenance and public safety announcements. Entertainment is not on their radar screen, which they have relegated to the
commercial sector.
20,000 you now have only a fraction of the bandwidth specialized class of processors for automotive infotain-
available.” ment and “lots of services for incubating seamless
Given all these numerous and sometimes overlapping mobility.” He says these next generation processors and
options, Doug Welk maintains a chart in his office that associated components that go into head units will
outlines the characteristics of all wireless communica- “show up for production in high-end cars for the 2010
tion modes. Group manager for connected vehicle tech- model year,” with more general deployment expected
nologies at Delphi’s Kokomo, Ind. Office - builders of the for 2012 and beyond for the majority of automobile
electronic components, hardware and software that sup- makes.
port products like General Motor’s OnStar traffic infor-
mation box - Welk argues that DSRC “is the only one The intelligent choice
capable of handling vehicle-to-vehicle communication Hoffmann says Intel is working with back-end service
that relates to safety.”
“Before vehicles
providers to establish components (for
Armstrong and others in the WAVE the connected vehicle) that “will be
development team have long con-
can become
suitable for cars.” Also, the Intel infor-
tended that DSRC is more suited to
connected there
mation group is trying to establish “a
safety applications because it doesn’t high level of consistency between
present a messaging time lapse.
must a wireless
(today’s) cars and the models showing
Welk considers WiFi or WiMax, along
infrastructure must
up in the marketplace.”
with the 3G smart phones, fine for the These efforts are not based on gov-
commercial services applications such
be created”
ernment mandates, “but rather are
as downloading streaming Web videos consumer driven.” Those parameters
- all of which will “be available in different forms in vehi- mean the applications have to be compelling to con-
cles,” he said. sumers to make them pay off, he says.
At Intel’s Detroit, Michigan offices, where is he the As the technology matures, Hoffmann says that con-
Strategic Marketing Development Manager for In-vehi- nected vehicles “will benefit consumers more than any-
cle Infotainment, Joel Hoffmann, says the chip giant pro- one else. Efficiency improvements based on routing
vides the platform for “green functions” like traffic and vehicle performance tuning could result in fuel sav-
congestion reports and weather updates so “drivers get ings and dollars, thus stimulating consumer desire to
the most from their hybrid (and other) vehicles.” purchase upgraded vehicles and aftermarket devices.”
According to Hoffmann, Intel has introduced a However, before vehicles can become connected, he
www.thinkinghighways.com Thinking Highways Vol 4 No 1 19
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