How artificial intelligence is projected to influence the automotive industry
04 October 2018
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Artificial intelligence and data science are two main technologies that form the processes of the automotive industry. Consider the question: ‘If AI has existed since 1950, why does is matter to the automotive industry so much now?’
There are two principal answers to this question: the first, and shorter answer, namely that it is “due to the rise of deep learning and greater computing power, and the availability of large amounts of data in the cloud”. The second, more detailed answer draws on all of the said technologies in conjunction: consider the huge advance in machine learning algorithms due to the rise in deep learning.
With AI being such a rising, common technology platform, the automotive industry is set to test various changes in the following years; after all, several issues need to be considered during the manufacturing process in terms of AI: vehicles of course become more integrated – driving all the more complex systems, and further functions must be added to accommodate the resultant industry standards.
According to a report by the IHS Markit, in 2015, the install rate of AI-based systems in new vehicles was only 8 percent; however, in 2025, this number is expected to increase to 109 percent. This dramatic increase in the use of vehicular AI systems would ultimately be standardised across autonomous vehicle applications at large. By the end of 2015 in fact, Toyota and Tesla's founder, Elon Musk, had already announced a one $1b investment in AI research and development. The aim of such research is to develop connected, autonomous, and AI-based systems that are able to achieve optimal decisions – and in several situations.
Through techniques such as IoT and deep learning, researchers were able to develop a system that would help in decision making around and throughout the car. While AI automotive applications that involve self-driving cars receive the most attention, this is only one of many use cases for artificial intelligence in the automotive industry. Let’s consider the different use cases that will drive the automobile industry in the future:
Driver-assist features
Several companies are working on fully automated self-driving cars, and an increasing number of manufacturers are working to accommodate such a process. This is by introducing features that assist the driver – without them needing to take the wheel – thanks to the intelligent transportation system in the car. These features include advanced safety features: pedestrian, automatic braking, collision avoidance systems, and both cyclist and cross-traffic alerts.
Internet of Things
According to McKinsey and Cisco, by 2020, researchers estimate that nearly 250 million cars will be connected to the Internet. The new vehicles will come with new equipment that would serve the new features and applications. Fundamentally, most equipment would include smart sensors, connectivity modules, and big data-enhanced geo-analytical capabilities. In short, three major changes, both technological and functional – that the IoT will bring fairly soon for car companies – are as follows:
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1. It will bring driverless car ubiquity closer.
2. It will turn carmakers into technology companies.
3. It will open up new areas for revenue.
Ultimately therefore, the IoT is of course impacting the automotive industry – with both new opportunities and challenges. One of these challenges is through over-the-air software updates, meaning that manufactures and car dealerships can update the vehicle’s firmware and enable premium features. Consider a full diagnostics system that can discover issues through sending performance data directly to the manufacturer through the cloud. A connected vehicle could therefore use IoT technology to report problems or schedule repairs.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising the automotive industry. Huge investment has already occurred from technology leaders such as Google, Tesla, Uber, and other major automotive companies in this domain. And it is not only an opportunity for huge companies, but for startups as well: new job vacancies are appearing, and academic courses are now shining all the more in this domain.
This article has acted as an introduction to the merge of AI, IoT, and automotive industry: but there are of course many more aspects to consider, such as vehicle communication, risk assessment, and other AI features.
Joseph Zulick is a writer and manager at MRO Electric and Supply. MRO Electric and Supply specialises in providing FANUC CNC and FANUC Robotics parts.
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