The first vehicle with an internal combustion engine was built by a Frenchman in 1808 … and ran on hydrogen with an electric ignition. Before that, an inventor named Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (also French) used the powers of steam for one of the first automotives in 1769. By 1886, automobiles would get their first taste of gasoline, courtesy of German inventor Karl Benz.
The evolution of the automobile has always mirrored the technological advancements of the age. Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing by championing the assembly line, one of the single greatest events that led us to our current era of mass production.
The growing technological prowess of cars bled into the popular culture long ago. In My Merry Oldsmobile was written by Gus Edwards and Vincent Bryan in 1905. In 1971, Don McLean would croon, “take my Chevy to the levy” in the song American Pie. The car has always been an item of fascination, adoration and expectation of the human race. Cars are status symbols, cars are economy drivers, cars are necessary.
The world has a new fascination. It is called the smartphone and, like the car before it, its technological maturation is driving innovation in any and every industry in the world.
Mobile and automobile … whence the two shall meet.
The connected car—mobile technology entering the automotive industry—will change the nature of driving forever. And the engines are just getting started.
The Connected Car: Why It Matters
By 2024, 89% all vehicles globally will have embedded connected capabilities, Analysys Mason reports. The connected car market is growing rapidly and will only continue to accelerate. Developers and car manufacturers will have endless opportunities to create apps for the car that offer content in a variety of formats.
Everybody is in on the game, from new car operating systems like Apple’s CarPlay, to controlling the vehicle externally on your smartphone—the car has become the new mobile. As an employee of an organization, developer, or even just a fan of cars, it is important to know that the connected car market is taking off with no chance of lowering the speed limit.
Imagine a world where you no longer drive or own a car. A vehicle pulls up to your location and drives you to your destination while you catch up on your favorite television series, scan your Twitter feed, or take a nap. Cars will drive themselves via millions of sensors and cameras in and on the vehicle. The self-driving car won’t become mainstream for quite some time but as the market evolves towards newer, faster, and fresher technology in the car, developers need to be ready to adapt and release faster and better builds.
Safety First
The connected car is going to change how users consume content, communicate with others, and interact with the world around them. Of course, many hurdles must be overcome. Safety is tantamount. The National Safety Council reports that over a quarter of total accidents per year result from cell phone usage—connected capabilities need to be safely operable without causing driver distraction.
Developers need to be ready for agile development in an ever-changing ecosystem. For instance, federal government driving regulations for software compliance should definitely be on the road map. Driver latency is one of the top causes of accidents and issues for the deployment of an app. If an application causes the user to look away from the road for more than a few seconds—it’s not intuitive enough for the real world.
This is just the beginning of a technology that will change the world. Call it hyperbole, but the experience of driving a car is one of the most elemental in all of human experience. The user will require … everything. Navigation and safety instructions. Automotive diagnostics tied to the cloud. In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) that produces music and radio, podcasts and more. loads of content and gain higher levels of expectation over time. It is important however, to understand the hefty requirements for app deployment with safety issues and government driving laws. Developers need to work with carmakers and original equipment manufacturers to create safe, usable content for the driver with the ability to continually update apps to keep up with user demand.
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