Gervas Douglas
2013-01-25 11:43:39 UTC
Cars in the Cloud
Document ID: | Document Type: ZapFlash
By: /Dov Levy/ | Posted: /January 14, 2013/
/With contributions from Mark Levy/
Many electrical and digital systems dominate today's vehicles. For
example, the onboard diagnostics port, OBD-II
<http://t.ymlp342.net/eessbaiawebeacahjanambmuu/click.php>, has been
mandatory for U.S. cars since 1996. More recently, some of these data
have become more accessible to the driver. Cars can now send information
directly to the dashboard alerting the driver of upcoming service
requirements, or any warning for that matter, replacing the traditional
red light on the dashboard.
In the last few years, however, we have witnessed significant "in-car"
technical improvements such as a range of native applications like
advanced navigation systems. Some examples: GM's OnStar system
(introduced in 1995) provides a great early example of automotive
telematics, and Ford's newer Sync System (powered by Microsoft)
integrates in-car entertainment, vehicle diagnostics, and navigation
capabilities.
Although significant data messaging takes place within today's
automobiles, it is rare to find cars where the majority of this
information is directly accessible to the driver without external
hardware, let alone connected to the Cloud. But of course, there's a
Cloud story here. With the rapid progress of in-car technology coupled
with new, advanced Cloud services, it was only a matter of time before
the new concept of Cars in the Cloud becomes a reality.
*Driving Your Car in the Cloud*
Today, the intersection between automobiles and consumer electronics is
expanding. The features that are already on the market and will continue
to improve at a rapid pace are all based on three elements:
* */Smart car/* -- Software is responsible for delivering
functionality that in previous generations were made possible by
analog devices
* */Cloud/* -- The ability to deliver services from the car
manufacturer as well as from other providers automatically over the
Internet
* */Connectivity/* --High speed, reliable, secure communications
between the car and various services that various providers are
lining up to offer.
However, with every vendor Cloudwashing their offerings, crossing off
words like "Web" from their marketing and writing in "Cloud," it's
important to ask if Cars in the Cloud is really nothing more than
connecting autos to the Web. While clearly some vendors have yet to move
past Cloudwashing, the primary essential characteristic of Cloud, namely
/elasticity/, is critical to the successful implementation of the Cars
in the Cloud concept. Since automobiles cannot afford software failures
while driving, it would more than a minor inconvenience should any
driver ever see a response on the screen saying "capacity exceeded,
please try again later." In order to ensure that such problems never
occur, the Cloud supporting the services must be elastic, and respond
promptly to any failure.
Cloud provisioning is also a key concept to the successful
implementation of Cars in the Cloud. When we acquire a new car, we
should be able to follow a simple procedure to make our new auto known
to the Cloud, so that all the services we purchased are immediately
available in the car. Clearly, in order for this process to work
satisfactorily, the provisioning of such services must be done
automatically with no human intervention.
*Example: The Tesla Model S*
The Tesla Model S
<http://t.ymlp342.net/eesshatawebeaaahjaxambmuu/click.php> is more than
a next-generation electric automobile. Examining the infrastructure
behind the Tesla Model S provides insight into the Car in the Cloud
concept, and offers a glimpse of the future. This vehicle features a
seventeen inch screen, completely replacing the manual buttons that you
would normally see in a normal car.
With a typical car, there are so many physical buttons and switches that
the manufacturer must roll out a new model year to make even the most
basic change to the car's functionality. In contrast, by moving these
types of buttons to a digital interface, Tesla can completely change the
configuration and functionality of their cars -- without significant
physical changes to the vehicle. For example, if enough Tesla Model S
drivers request the digital button to open the sun roof to move to a
different location, all that the development team must do is produce a
new release and push it to all cars. In other words, a Car in the Cloud
is an automobile that can change over time without requiring owners to
buy an upgraded model.
To accomplish this feat, Tesla's programmed their on-board computer by
customizing Google's Android mobile operating system. Android is an open
source stack that powers many popular consumer devices such as
smartphones, tablets, and now -- automobiles. Tesla's CEO has also said
that the Model S will support third-party apps
<http://t.ymlp342.net/eesswaaawebeaiahjaiambmuu/click.php> to extend
each car's functionality. Since a Tesla Model S is blessed with a large
display and a handful of starter apps, it is clear that over time, the
company will push more and more apps to the car via the Tesla Cloud. But
will there be a Tesla app marketplace? Will the commercial market be
able to use the Tesla API and implement an ever-growing number of Tesla
apps? Will there be a process for Tesla certify these apps prior to
inclusion in the app store? Clearly there is an opportunity for an
active marketplace that could set the trend for the automotive industry
at large.
*Connectivity, Scalability, and Security*
The Tesla Model S is connected to the Tesla Cloud over a 3G link. Each
automobile regularly calls home, providing Tesla engineers with
extensive information regarding the performance of each car. In most
cases, Tesla can fix any issues with your car without any involvement
from the driver. Further, this process allows Tesla to listen to its
customers and decide what features the manufacturer should add. Since
the entire auto is managed by software from the Tesla Cloud, it is
possible to complete the development and testing in order to deliver
upgrades with ease. Of course, they still have to worry about
scalability. Clearly, it is imperative that the infrastructure behind
the Tesla is capable of handling the volume of autos and data that the
Cloud and the vehicles exchange.
The flip side of this ease of upgrade is security. Just how susceptible
is a Tesla car to viruses and hackers? For example, earlier this year,
hackers commandeered software for remotely operating medical equipment
and elevators. Just how secure is the Tesla Cloud anyway? Only time will
tell, but Tesla has already expended significant resources to ensure
that compromises cannot happen, even though we never want to say that
breaches are truly impossible. Yes, Tesla encrypts all data, establishes
a VPN directly to the car, and signs and verifies all software packages.
Furthermore, it's only possible to upgrade an automobile from the Cloud
when the car is charging (meaning, when it's not moving). The upgrade
takes place overnight and the next morning, you can see some few
features in your car.
*The ZapThink Take*
Tesla's Car in the Cloud concept still seems quite futuristic, but it's
still early days. As the technology matures, connected vehicles have the
potential to change many aspects of how people own and operate their
motor vehicles. Some ideas:
* */Car Insurance/* -- Currently, car insurance works much like health
insurance. However, while we need of health insurance 24/7, doesn't
it make sense that we would only need the majority of my car
insurance while we're driving? Be on the lookout for
"pay-as-you-drive" insurance programs in the future.
* */Environmental Applications/* -- The way that you drive has
implications for your fuel range (or in the case of Tesla, the car's
battery range). Over time, cars will be able to identify
opportunities to minimize fuel consumption based on driving style.
* */Highway Infrastructure Applications/* -- Yes, we have E-ZPass now,
but we could greatly simplify electronic toll collection and
congestion charging without having to put up more tollbooths and
cameras. The amount of money that we could save for highway
infrastructure is enormous.
* */Convenience Applications/* -- Connect my phone to my car and begin
heating up my car when I start walking toward it. Tell me exactly
where my car is at a parking lot without having to take a picture of
a sign at the airport or hold up my keychain as I conduct a random
walk through the lot.
* */Advanced Safety and Security/* -- I can track my iPhone if it's
stolen, and even shut it down so that anyone who takes it will find
themselves with nothing more than a shiny piece of metal. My car
should be able to do the same. LoJack in the Cloud.
* */Automated driving /*-- even though we've all heard of Google's
self-driving car, this capability still seems to be the stuff of
science fiction. When it becomes a reality, however, you can bet it
will take full advantage of advanced Car in the Cloud capabilities.
* */Social Networking/* -- Based on the fact that there could be
roughly 300 million cars in the U.S. and more than 1 billion
worldwide, we can project an opportunity to integrate social
networking into cars moving forward. For example, cars could start
talking to each other in order to identify road conditions along the
route. Music recommendations, rest stop data, and tourist
information can stream directly into the vehicle. Your car might
even start tweeting. Imagine the possibilities!
Document ID: | Document Type: ZapFlash
By: /Dov Levy/ | Posted: /January 14, 2013/
/With contributions from Mark Levy/
Many electrical and digital systems dominate today's vehicles. For
example, the onboard diagnostics port, OBD-II
<http://t.ymlp342.net/eessbaiawebeacahjanambmuu/click.php>, has been
mandatory for U.S. cars since 1996. More recently, some of these data
have become more accessible to the driver. Cars can now send information
directly to the dashboard alerting the driver of upcoming service
requirements, or any warning for that matter, replacing the traditional
red light on the dashboard.
In the last few years, however, we have witnessed significant "in-car"
technical improvements such as a range of native applications like
advanced navigation systems. Some examples: GM's OnStar system
(introduced in 1995) provides a great early example of automotive
telematics, and Ford's newer Sync System (powered by Microsoft)
integrates in-car entertainment, vehicle diagnostics, and navigation
capabilities.
Although significant data messaging takes place within today's
automobiles, it is rare to find cars where the majority of this
information is directly accessible to the driver without external
hardware, let alone connected to the Cloud. But of course, there's a
Cloud story here. With the rapid progress of in-car technology coupled
with new, advanced Cloud services, it was only a matter of time before
the new concept of Cars in the Cloud becomes a reality.
*Driving Your Car in the Cloud*
Today, the intersection between automobiles and consumer electronics is
expanding. The features that are already on the market and will continue
to improve at a rapid pace are all based on three elements:
* */Smart car/* -- Software is responsible for delivering
functionality that in previous generations were made possible by
analog devices
* */Cloud/* -- The ability to deliver services from the car
manufacturer as well as from other providers automatically over the
Internet
* */Connectivity/* --High speed, reliable, secure communications
between the car and various services that various providers are
lining up to offer.
However, with every vendor Cloudwashing their offerings, crossing off
words like "Web" from their marketing and writing in "Cloud," it's
important to ask if Cars in the Cloud is really nothing more than
connecting autos to the Web. While clearly some vendors have yet to move
past Cloudwashing, the primary essential characteristic of Cloud, namely
/elasticity/, is critical to the successful implementation of the Cars
in the Cloud concept. Since automobiles cannot afford software failures
while driving, it would more than a minor inconvenience should any
driver ever see a response on the screen saying "capacity exceeded,
please try again later." In order to ensure that such problems never
occur, the Cloud supporting the services must be elastic, and respond
promptly to any failure.
Cloud provisioning is also a key concept to the successful
implementation of Cars in the Cloud. When we acquire a new car, we
should be able to follow a simple procedure to make our new auto known
to the Cloud, so that all the services we purchased are immediately
available in the car. Clearly, in order for this process to work
satisfactorily, the provisioning of such services must be done
automatically with no human intervention.
*Example: The Tesla Model S*
The Tesla Model S
<http://t.ymlp342.net/eesshatawebeaaahjaxambmuu/click.php> is more than
a next-generation electric automobile. Examining the infrastructure
behind the Tesla Model S provides insight into the Car in the Cloud
concept, and offers a glimpse of the future. This vehicle features a
seventeen inch screen, completely replacing the manual buttons that you
would normally see in a normal car.
With a typical car, there are so many physical buttons and switches that
the manufacturer must roll out a new model year to make even the most
basic change to the car's functionality. In contrast, by moving these
types of buttons to a digital interface, Tesla can completely change the
configuration and functionality of their cars -- without significant
physical changes to the vehicle. For example, if enough Tesla Model S
drivers request the digital button to open the sun roof to move to a
different location, all that the development team must do is produce a
new release and push it to all cars. In other words, a Car in the Cloud
is an automobile that can change over time without requiring owners to
buy an upgraded model.
To accomplish this feat, Tesla's programmed their on-board computer by
customizing Google's Android mobile operating system. Android is an open
source stack that powers many popular consumer devices such as
smartphones, tablets, and now -- automobiles. Tesla's CEO has also said
that the Model S will support third-party apps
<http://t.ymlp342.net/eesswaaawebeaiahjaiambmuu/click.php> to extend
each car's functionality. Since a Tesla Model S is blessed with a large
display and a handful of starter apps, it is clear that over time, the
company will push more and more apps to the car via the Tesla Cloud. But
will there be a Tesla app marketplace? Will the commercial market be
able to use the Tesla API and implement an ever-growing number of Tesla
apps? Will there be a process for Tesla certify these apps prior to
inclusion in the app store? Clearly there is an opportunity for an
active marketplace that could set the trend for the automotive industry
at large.
*Connectivity, Scalability, and Security*
The Tesla Model S is connected to the Tesla Cloud over a 3G link. Each
automobile regularly calls home, providing Tesla engineers with
extensive information regarding the performance of each car. In most
cases, Tesla can fix any issues with your car without any involvement
from the driver. Further, this process allows Tesla to listen to its
customers and decide what features the manufacturer should add. Since
the entire auto is managed by software from the Tesla Cloud, it is
possible to complete the development and testing in order to deliver
upgrades with ease. Of course, they still have to worry about
scalability. Clearly, it is imperative that the infrastructure behind
the Tesla is capable of handling the volume of autos and data that the
Cloud and the vehicles exchange.
The flip side of this ease of upgrade is security. Just how susceptible
is a Tesla car to viruses and hackers? For example, earlier this year,
hackers commandeered software for remotely operating medical equipment
and elevators. Just how secure is the Tesla Cloud anyway? Only time will
tell, but Tesla has already expended significant resources to ensure
that compromises cannot happen, even though we never want to say that
breaches are truly impossible. Yes, Tesla encrypts all data, establishes
a VPN directly to the car, and signs and verifies all software packages.
Furthermore, it's only possible to upgrade an automobile from the Cloud
when the car is charging (meaning, when it's not moving). The upgrade
takes place overnight and the next morning, you can see some few
features in your car.
*The ZapThink Take*
Tesla's Car in the Cloud concept still seems quite futuristic, but it's
still early days. As the technology matures, connected vehicles have the
potential to change many aspects of how people own and operate their
motor vehicles. Some ideas:
* */Car Insurance/* -- Currently, car insurance works much like health
insurance. However, while we need of health insurance 24/7, doesn't
it make sense that we would only need the majority of my car
insurance while we're driving? Be on the lookout for
"pay-as-you-drive" insurance programs in the future.
* */Environmental Applications/* -- The way that you drive has
implications for your fuel range (or in the case of Tesla, the car's
battery range). Over time, cars will be able to identify
opportunities to minimize fuel consumption based on driving style.
* */Highway Infrastructure Applications/* -- Yes, we have E-ZPass now,
but we could greatly simplify electronic toll collection and
congestion charging without having to put up more tollbooths and
cameras. The amount of money that we could save for highway
infrastructure is enormous.
* */Convenience Applications/* -- Connect my phone to my car and begin
heating up my car when I start walking toward it. Tell me exactly
where my car is at a parking lot without having to take a picture of
a sign at the airport or hold up my keychain as I conduct a random
walk through the lot.
* */Advanced Safety and Security/* -- I can track my iPhone if it's
stolen, and even shut it down so that anyone who takes it will find
themselves with nothing more than a shiny piece of metal. My car
should be able to do the same. LoJack in the Cloud.
* */Automated driving /*-- even though we've all heard of Google's
self-driving car, this capability still seems to be the stuff of
science fiction. When it becomes a reality, however, you can bet it
will take full advantage of advanced Car in the Cloud capabilities.
* */Social Networking/* -- Based on the fact that there could be
roughly 300 million cars in the U.S. and more than 1 billion
worldwide, we can project an opportunity to integrate social
networking into cars moving forward. For example, cars could start
talking to each other in order to identify road conditions along the
route. Music recommendations, rest stop data, and tourist
information can stream directly into the vehicle. Your car might
even start tweeting. Imagine the possibilities!