KPIT Cummins Blog

In this blog, Amit Chitale, Head of Global Connected Vehicles Program at KPIT Cummins, illustrates the transposition of connected cars in the human lifestyle and also gives a glimpse into the revolution brought about by the ‘Internet on Wheels’ phenomenon.

Man is a social animal. We function better in groups, life is fun, work is interesting, and routines seem less exhaustive when we are around people. And when we are not around them physically, we are with them in spirit...or lately, through social media.

With internet clawing for space in our lifestyles, we are increasingly realising the full meaning of catchphrases, like “being connected”. We have devices today that, in a heartbeat, transport us to our destination of choice. Ethereally, of course. Between a cell phone, laptop, tablet and television, we have at our disposal, plenty of options that facilitate rapid exchange of ideas and information, and provide unlimited doses of entertainment. 

And latest to join the bandwagon is, quite literally, the wagon. Imagine a regular commute in a big, metropolitan city. For two to three hours a day, you sit in an air-conditioned car, with windows rolled up, virtually disconnected from the outside world. Alone and on the brink of frustration, you wish for your vehicle to do something, maybe even hoping that it magically transforms into something bearing semblance to your much loved, alive and animated gadgets.

Enter: connected cars. Functioning as a giant connectivity-enabled device, cars are now coming equipped with what we know as infotainment systems, which juxtapose all newfound ideas of staying social and connected, round the clock.

KPIT’s infotainment system, KIVI, comes fortified with ‘Apps-to-go’, a future-proof App Development Framework, which enables secure and safe content sharing, and seamless, rapid integration between multiple mobile devices, IVI system and the cloud. It provides users hands-free management of apps and in-car media using their mobile-devices.

Car owners have always been emotionally attached to their vehicles. Now with connectivity on the go, connection between users and their vehicles is bound to grow stronger as they will be able to do much more than just travel from point A to point B. They can use their mobiles to even set car servicing reminders; locate nearest fuel stations or find places of interest. Slowly, but surely, cars are getting more personalised. So much so that in a matter of years, we will have as many as 90 million connected cars, just like bots, running on our streets.   

Most of all, with our infotainment solution, KIVI, the drab dashboard metamorphoses into an interface which, while keeping safety on priority, understands and actuates the connectivity needs of the consumer, which is remarkable. Whether it is the modernised touch screen or the responsive voice controls; intelligent communication elements or apropos application updates, a car’s infotainment system can well satiate any current or up-and-coming demands with in-vehicle connectivity.

Take for example, a late morning, when you are fully aware of the busy day ahead. You grab the keys and head to your car. Before you ready yourself, you want to know what route has the least travel time this morning. What do you do? You crowdsource! Using live feeds from friends as well as navigation, you can quickly zero in, and set out on the best possible route to work. Here’s another scenario: Imagine you forget an anniversary or birthday, and the least you can do is take your beloved for an expensive, face-saving dinner. On your way home, you key in for restaurants close to you, call ahead and make a reservation, and announce your surprise. What about when you are stuck in inevitable, immovable traffic? You want to pass some time, but you are not in the mood to listen to the radio, or your old music collection. What do you do? All you need to do is get on to a social network, subscribe to a friend’s music list and sit back to enjoy!

What a connected car does is more than the usual and imaginable - WiFi, weather updates, car alerts, push messages, etc. It offers social integration of the highest degree in a rather unlikely spot! Additionally, it also brings in features like vehicle tracking; sensing vehicle performance based on the user’s style of driving and more. The possibilities are endless. And thus in the near future, we can practically imagine living in the car, other than merely driving it to work and back!

*For more information, please read our blog series, “The Quest for an Extraordinary Car”.

Meet us at CES 2013 at Las Vegas from 8th Jan2013 to 11th Jan 2013 to learn more and see a demo of some of our solutions. For more information, visit: http://www.kpitcummins.com/news/events