The Future of Technology and Cars

IMAGINE NEW USE CASES WHERE CAR AND HOME WORK TOGETHER

The use of technology in cars is not new. The internet of things however can offer some extraordinary and exciting features. According to a study done by the Harvard Health Watch, an average American spends 101 minutes per day driving which directly translates to approximately 615 hours each year in the car! A similar study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that an average American spends approximately 11.5 hours per day at home. By juxtaposing these two figures, one can realize the immense potential in performing these two activities in tandem so that an average person can spend quality time on other activities in life. The biggest challenge, however, is the fact that while driving, a person cannot divert his / her focus from the main job which is driving! Although there are few functions that can be performed on smartphones these days, there are many more things related to driving that cannot. This brings us to an interesting situation where a car and the home can interact with each other and work together to offer more time and peace to an individual in today’s busy schedule. We have been able to identify seven broad areas where the car and home can work together.

1. Calendar and schedule synchronizer: Synchronizing the user’s calendar to the cars interactive system will provide a plethora of opportunities in realizing the goal. Few of the activities are:

1. Grocery inventory: How many times did we drive back home only to realize that we had to pick up groceries on the way? If there is a way in which the refrigerator at home could communicate with the car by providing details of inventory of all essential items such as vegetables, meat, milk, eggs and so on, the car could in turn remind the driver to purchase those items before reaching home. To go one step further, there can also be a situation where the car places direct orders based on the past consumption patterns and stock levels so that the owner can just stop by at the grocery store to pick up the groceries!

1. Road Trips: If the user’s schedule indicates a road trip in the near future (1-2 weeks ahead), the car could carry out basic checks such as tire wear condition, available battery life, a quick update on the oil and lubrication levels etc. and alert the user ahead of time in case precautionary maintenance checks are to be performed on the vehicle before the scheduled road trip.

1. Restaurant reservations: Another important function that the car can perform is to make reservations in restaurants or place take-away orders. The car could give suggestions regarding restaurants depending upon the available locations in the general vicinity of the car’s GPS position.

1. Workout in the gymnasium: Nowadays, almost anyone who is concerned about physical fitness owns a fitness band. The fitness band can play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the car and the home. The band can calculate the calories burnt during a workout session and send the workout data to the car. The computer system in the car can in turn analyze the data and inform the user about the optimum after workout meal that is required to replenish the expended energy. The car could also suggest places where the owner could go to find that optimal meal.

1. Parking: Finding parking on an average day in big cities is a growing problem these days. Couple this with a game-day and one can visualize the nightmare. In the event of a football game in the city, the car can alert the user about the parking situation in the stadium and guide him / her to the closest and the most convenient option.

1. Payment processing: Integrating a payment system into the cars on board computer can unlock many utilities. Activities such as purchasing songs for the car’s music system, purchasing freeway toll tickets, and grocery purchases as mentioned in one of the previous points can be made really easy.

1. Record TV shows: If the user is away from home and wants to record his favorite movie or a match on TV, this can be done by the push of a button in the car. Although this feature is being offered by smartphone apps, the same can be integrated with the car’s computer system to provide an even more seamless experience.

1. Fuel consumption patterns: One of the things that many car owners do is to unnecessarily fill the tank to the brim each time. This not only adds to the weight of the vehicle but also hurts the fuel efficiency. If the car could indicate the optimum amount of fuel to be filled up each time based on historical data on the usage patterns, it would solve many a problem.

1. Driving style record for lower insurance premiums: Insurance premiums constitute a huge chunk of the monthly costs. These can range from anywhere between $200 and $500 depending on the user’s driving history and the make of the car. There is a huge opportunity here. Consider for example a safe driver who does not violate speed limits or traffic signals. There is no reason why such an individual with an impeccable record pay high insurance premiums on a monthly basis. If there is a way in which the car could record the driving habits and make the data presentable to insurance firms, it would be beneficial to both the parties – the user and the insurance firm. It would not only enable the insurance firm to charge a lower monthly fee from a safe driver, but also encourage more drivers to share their driving history for lower premiums.

Although these are only five examples, they constitute a majority of activities that an average person does in his / her day-to-day life. Therefore they present an interesting opportunity for car manufacturers to work on ways in which the car and the home could work together to offer the user more time that can be spent on quality things in life.