Driving towards the future:Connected-car features to keep you on the edge of the seat

Visionaries, engineers, and business leaders across the globe are constantly pooling their genius to turn high-concept ideas into reality. It is no wonder then that technology is progressing full throttle with the next levels of advancements getting unlocked in a matter of months. While these innovations find applications across industries, automobile is one sector where all futuristic concepts are reified most spectacularly.

Automation and connected mobility are at the forefront of technological innovation in the automobile sector. Powered by the combination of technologies such as AI, IoT, machine learning, natural language processing, cloud computing, and more, connected cars are increasingly enabling drivers and passengers to have the experience usually reserved for characters in sci-fi literature.

The following are some of the features that have the potential to render connected cars the preferred medium of transportation for new-age users. Connected car owners can:

1. Have an up-to-date driving experience with OTA (Over the Air) updates

Much like smartphones, laptops and other internet-connected smart devices, connected cars, too, can receive periodic updates via OTA. Thanks to the automated system, drivers and passengers do not need to worry about keeping track of the latest updates. It can receive and incorporate updated changes – be it new screen themes, infotainment download, or regular software as well as OS upgrades – on its own.

2. Have an intelligent ride alongside their AI-based personal voice assistant

The operating system in these cars comes equipped with cloud-based, AI-enabled voice assistant feature. In most cars, it is capable of processing over a 100 voice commands to carry out operations such as opening window and sunroof, controlling radio (FM, AM, DRM), navigation system, etc., searching embedded audio files, and so on.

As these systems are powered by machine learning, they are able to customize themselves to offer the most responsive and engaging experience to a user. In order to provide a seamless experience to users across geographies, cultures, and languages, most cutting-edge voice assistants are designed to adapt not only to diverse accents but also to the various semantic differences that occur in speech. This is made possible with the integration of the Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology.

3. Stay connected to the vehicle at all times via mobile app-based remote connectivity

Connected car companies also enable users to download relevant mobile application through which they can remotely carry out a variety of operations while receiving status updates regarding their vehicle. For instance, a user can use the app to get information about their car’s location, fuel level, and check whether the car is fully locked – they can also lock or unlock the car via the app on their smartphone. They can check the vehicle range, set geofencing, and manage security alert on the app, along with receiving abnormal tyre pressure notification, remotely managing the climate control feature, and more.

4. Have a safer ride on the back of in-built privacy protection and cybersecurity suites

The digital infrastructure built into connected cars come equipped with state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions. Avant-garde technology is deployed to create an impregnable defence system to protect all the data related to driver and vehicle analytics. All measures are taken to ensure that the cars’ digital integrity stays protected not only against incumbent threat vectors but also against any potential future threat.

5. Go a-exploring using advanced navigation system

The IoT-enabled online navigation system can receive traffic updates in real-time, thus adding another gear to the driver’s experience of riding a tech-driven connected car. Apart from avoiding running into traffic jams and other such obstacles, OTA-activated online navigation can also power the vehicle’s auto-pilot feature.

While each of these features is advanced enough to give car owners a glimpse into the future, all of these, and more, combined can enable them to experience it – like with the recently-launched MG Hector. With innovations taking place at the speed of light, the future of connected mobility – and the automobile industry at large – looks neon-bright. Considering the current trends, that it will happen is not a matter of possibility, but merely that of time.