Automotive intelligence and car networking technology in the future

Automotive industry analyst Zhang Zhiyong

There is a saying in the trailer of "Transformers 4": It is now over and the future is now.

Nowadays, relative to the car's heart engine, many people are more concerned about the intelligent car and car networking technology, which is vividly interpreted the above sentence.

Last week, Volvo Car released the Sensus Innovative Technology sub-brand and its corresponding smart car-to-car interactive system at the 751 plant in Beijing. Not long ago, Google released Android Auto at the I / O conference, which is another cross-border Google into the automotive industry after the development of unmanned systems.

In fact, Silicon Valley's Internet giants, with their keen business sense of smell, have already begun to look for new business opportunities in the car. In addition to Google, Apple also introduced CarPlay, Baidu launched CarNet, Tencent launched Lobo ... ...

Detroit auto giants are not idle, the smart Internet to play together, has become a consensus car prices. General An Jixing, Toyota G-BOOK, BMW's interoperability, Mercedes-Benz's My Command and so on are the new generation of vehicle-mounted automotive systems products. Compared with IT enterprises, automobile manufacturers are still dominant in the automotive system market at this stage because of their great advantages in safety monitoring, after-sales service and interaction between people and vehicles.

The current situation is, whether it is IT giants, or car prices, if you do not say that they are busy developing intelligent automotive products or car networking technology, do not say you want to launch unmanned vehicles, you may feel embarrassed to chat .

Unmanned open fast lane

Google driverless car

IT giant Google launched research on driverless technology in 2009. At the Code Conference in May this year, Google came up with a self-developed new product, the driverless car. Unlike regular cars, Google Driverless cars do not have steering wheels and brakes.

Currently, Google's driverless car is still in the prototype stage, but even then, it still demonstrated a distinctive innovative features. By eliminating the need for human hands, this means that essential accessories for steering, throttle, brakes and other conventional vehicles are not visible on Google's driverless cars - software and sensors have replaced them. Google co-founder Sergey Brin said the driverless car is still very early, Google hopes it can adapt to different scenarios as much as possible, with the click of a button, you can send the user to the destination.

Earlier, Google had completed about 700,000 miles of unmanned miles through its 24-sensor Lexus RX450h.

Audi driverless system

Audi's unmanned system will use two radar detectors, eight high-speed sensors and a wide-angle camera to control the car. Vehicles equipped with the Audi's unmanned system can be easily parked in a crowded city, steering operation is also very flexible. In high-speed driving, it can adjust its speed according to the distance in front of the car in time. When there is danger in the front, the Audi driverless model can react quickly and brake in time.

Smart terminal to wear one

Tencent Road Po

Earlier this year, Tencent released its first car networking floor product, "Lobo," which includes Lobo APP, plug-and-play Lobo boxes (like a small USB flash drive) and more.

Lubao box with Bluetooth low energy mode corresponding interface with the car, plug and play, with the APP can provide UGC road conditions, vehicle condition diagnosis, fuel consumption analysis and other tools. Among them, the fault detection system can be done in addition to physical examination of the whole car, but also gives some suggestions for readability; fuel consumption analysis can remind the depth of the throttle in real time; driving safety scores after driving, competing with friends.

Mercedes + smart watches

Like many car networking companies, Mercedes-Benz is also eyeing wearable devices. CES Mercedes-Benz booth earlier this year, Google glasses, Pebble smart watches are displayed in the column. Taking Pebble smartwatch as an example, pilots simply use the iPhone to import the car's information into the Pebble smartwatch. When the vehicle is running, the watchwill be used to remind drivers of traffic accidents, road repairs, and real-time traffic information such as anchored vehicles.

Car system popular niche

Apple CarPlay

In March this year, Apple released the official version of iOS 7.1, one of the highlights is to support the connection CarPlay smart car system, you can most of the basic functions of the iPhone through the car's control panel to use. With CarPlay, drivers can both make calls without leaving their steering wheel and listen to voicemail content.

Due to interface problems, CarPlay system currently only supports iPhone5 / 5S / 5C. 29 car makers have indicated that they are willing to adopt the Apple CarPlay car system. Five of them, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, are planning to launch the CarPlay system this year.

Google Android Auto

Held at the 2014 Google I / O conference recently, Google Auto Android Auto officially released, marking the beginning of Android officially entered automotive applications. Google Android Android Auto system includes Google music player, Google Maps and voice trigger text messages and other functions. Compared with Apple's Carplay, Android Auto eliminates the need to enter Internet mode by clicking on it. It is backed by Google's powerful search engine and supports full-voice operation, enabling users to search and route relevant information.

It is noteworthy that Google's Android system is not an embedded infotainment system, but a "projection" system, that is, the use of Google's Android smartphone operating system can be manipulated through the car's own display screen.

Earlier this year, Google announced the formation of the Open Car Alliance with a number of car makers, including General Motors, Honda, Audi, and Hyundai, as well as chipmaker Intel Corp., which aims to bring Android into the automotive infotainment system, and has now expanded to 40 Many companies.

Ford Microsoft SYNC system

As a "Prophet," Ford cooperated with Microsoft in 2007 to develop the voice control technology called SYNC, which has the basic functions of video playback, making phone calls, voice reading text messages. At present, the technology has been widely used in Ford cars. In order to create a prosperous ecology, Ford introduced the SYNC AppLink open interface in 2010, third-party applications on smart devices to be ported.

Car safety "smart" up

Nissan smart rear-view mirror

Nissan Smart Rearview Mirror, equipped with Nissan's newly developed high-performance narrow-angle camera and special LCD screen, makes the Smart Rearview Mirror broader and clearer. It is understood that the intelligent rear-view mirror through the rear window mounted on the rear-view camera images will be presented in the rearview mirror built-in LCD screen, so that rear vision is no longer subject to the impact of the vehicle obstacles. In addition, the Smart Rearview (front view mirror) and high-speed computer with high-speed image processing are used in case of light changes such as sunrise and sunset, use of a glare-proof high beam in the rear of the vehicle, darkness in the sky, insufficient light in the car, Mirror provides a clear rear view at any time. As early as 2015, this technology will be available as an optional part of Nissan's models.

Volvo anti-fatigue system

Volvo installed a set of infrared sensors on the dashboard. The sensors continuously emit infrared light to detect driver's eye movements. When driver's eyelids droop or eyes are looking at non-lane direction, the computer will give a reminder, such as a warning sound to warn the driver Reduce the incidence of traffic accidents. Because the infrared is invisible, it will not interfere with the driver's driving sight.

In addition, Volvo also use it and other devices to combine. For example, if the sensor is combined with an autostraking system, the computer can decide if the driver is tired or distracted, and determines when the braking system is involved. In addition, the infrared sensor also allows drivers to more easily use the car equipped with, for example, if detected by the driver's line of sight is blocked by the steering wheel, the chair will automatically lift the height of the appropriate position. Volvo plans to carry this safety technology to all of its vehicles by 2020.

Volvo Vehicle Interconnection System

Volvo's vehicle safety interconnection system works based on the cloud network. When the vehicle equipped with this system detects the icy and slippery conditions of the road, the computer will send the driving information to Volvo's database via the mobile phone network, and the database will send the traffic information to the same installation as the first time This system, and is about to close the vehicle in the danger zone, warning the driver in advance to avoid accidents. The warning is also very humane - the dashboard will be placed on a reminder screen, the system will be based on the driver's driving speed, the distance from the dangerous road to judge, automatically adjust the intensity of the warning.

Oasis automatically adjusts the chair

Car seat supplier Faurecia SA brought a prototype autopilot for the chair called Oasis at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. With the front camera on the back of the chair, the Oasis rear seat automatically detects the passenger's head position and automatically adjusts the height of the headrest and the length of the headrest to achieve a more comfortable ride quality.

The left-hand HMI man-machine interface of the Oasis chair controls the screen content in front of the chair and offers four different sitting adjustments to the passenger's needs, entering and exiting the vehicle, upright mode for business use , To meet the visual experience of the video mode and almost completely lie flat relaxation mode.

Intelligent chain

Forming

Previously, car prices car production, is a lot of parts manufacturers to provide resources to form a supply system. The future, in terms of the intelligent production of automobiles, insists on the principle of such an industrial chain, and what Internet companies or car companies do well will be adopted as a supplier in the automobile industry chain.

Nowadays, more and more enterprises are involved in the construction of intelligent cars and also provide more options for the development of car companies. Car companies can take this opportunity to launch a wide variety of cooperation in various forms. Volvo has now done this, it both with Apple CarPlay cooperation, but also its own research and development.

In recent years, the intelligent car has been moving forward, has now reached the advanced stage, and is entering a more in-depth and more comprehensive stage of development. It may be 10 years later, automotive intelligence and car networking technology will be completed.