research

AT&T finds connected car car connections VIP

GM-ATT-4G-LTE-626x382AT CTIA Super Mobility Week, AT&T and Ericsson announced key points from its connected car research proving that people want AT&T connections in their cars. The report alsos a very high awareness of connected car features. We have a call out to our AT&T contacts to track down the full report. In the meantime, here are the bullet points.

Car buyers want seamless connected car connectivity + luxury infotainment

frostsullivanFrost & Sullivan’s analysis of the North American advanced connected car and ADAS systems found that consumers demand seamless connectivity and high-end infotainment features in cars. The company also noted that the industry is on its way to 000 (zero emissions, zero accidents and zero fatalities.

The research also found that night vision assist with pedestrian detection or collision warning and mitigation using augmented reality (AR) which were considered to be of higher importance compared to other features like power liftgate or ambient lighting in the vehicle.

Volkswagen ELR connected car research offers driving buddies with ESP

infotainmentvwVolkswagen Group’s Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) is working on more “intuitive” forms of driver, car and external communications, noted a news release from the company. Volkswagen group encompasses Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and VW.

ERL researchers are looking at the three elements important for connected driving, the car, mobile devices and cloud.

JD Power voices voice recognition problems with connected car systems

voice_control_systemCar makers are not listening to what people want in voice recognition systems reported Kristin Kolodge, JD Power’s executive director of driver interaction.

JD Power studies in the United States have shown that voice recognition is the most common type of problem voiced by car owners.

As much as one-third of infotainment system glitches were due to voice recognition, Kolodge said during a presentation at the 2014 Management Briefing Seminars.

$1M Challenge for mini-inverters for cars and more

googlechalleng2With the catchy phrases “think shrink”, “smaller is bigger” and  “min it to win it”, the Little Box Challenge, sponsored by Google and IEEE will pay a one million dollars to the company or entity that builds and designs a kW-scale inverter with the highest density of at least 50 watts per cubic inch.

Inverters are the boxes that convert direct current from sources such as solar panels or batteries and turns it into alternating current for use in homes, businesses or cars.

D.C. MA & MN safest states, ND, WY & MT worst say UMT Study

National Mall Washington DCWhere are the most dangerous fatal roads in the country? Traffic safety has improved in the country for the past ten years, however, traffic fatality rates are still generally higher in the Northern Plains and southern states than in the Northeast, Midwest and West, according to University of Michigan researcher, Michael Sivak. There is no way of telling, yet how connected cars will affect the number in the next decade.

U-M Transportation Research Institute studied individual fatality rates per distance driven and per population in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2012 (the latest available year) and 2005 (a recent peak).

Traffic lights better programming and connected cars = shorter commute times and better gas mileage with V2I

trafficlightsAugust 6 is 100th anniversary of the traffic light at an intersection in Cleveland, Ohio. Today, traffic lights are controlled by sensors that include proximity sensors with some intelligent sensors using localized software. In the future, traffic lights may make driving safer, reduce commutes, save time and lower emissions.

Researchers at MIT have developed a means of computing optimal timings for city stoplights that can significantly reduce drivers’ average travel times. The software adjusts signal times at intersections distributed across the entire city, with the objective of trying to improve conditions across the entire city, while present systems are timed to local information