Ubiquitous Computing in the Automotive Domain (Abstract)

Abstract

Examples for ubiquitous computing applications usually come from the household domain. Typical lists include microwave ovens with integrated web-pads, refrigerators or washing machines with remote Internet connections for maintenance access, and even instrumented coffee mugs or clothes. While many of these examples have substantial entertainment value, the likelihood of their realization and pervasive deployment in the not too distant future is questionable. There is, however, another application domain for ubiquitous computing which holds substantial promise, but is often overlooked: the automotive sector.

Cars are fairly attractive protagonists for ubiquitous computing: They are large enough to have communication devices integrated in them, in fact, a substantial portion of them has integrated phones today. They come with their own power source which can also feed their communications equipment. Their price is some orders of magnitude higher than that of the device to be included, so the relative price increase to make them communicate is small. And, perhaps most importantly, some services such as mayday, remote tracking, or telediagnosis make vehicle connectivity desirable for car buyers and car manufacturers alike.

In this talk, we discuss how ubiquitous computing in the automotive domain can become a reality. We investigate the principal services resulting from network-connected cars, focussing on vehicle-originated rather than passenger-related communication as we believe that ubiquitous computing is more about communicating machines than communicating humans. Within the vehicle-centric services identified, we distinguish between client/server and peer-to-peer applications, resulting in different communication requirements and system setups. We outline some network solutions to meet these requirements, including technologies for car-to-infrastructure and car-to-car communication in different regions of the world. We conclude by discussing the overall effect which these developments may have on the automotive industry.