Between 2017 and 2022, the global market for connected mobility is expected to grow by nearly 25% annually. Just a few years from now, cars will be an active part of the internet of things (IoT), able to communicate with other connected modes of transportation, and even with the smart home.
“The car as we know it will soon be history,” said Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH.
“Today you use the internet to book a hotel room; in the future, you’ll arrange your mobility online as well.” To do so, private vehicles will be part of an integrated solution that includes public transportation and even entire urban infrastructures. “In a few years, mobility will be seamlessly connected.”
Almost all new cars sold in Germany today are web-enabled. Real-time traffic data, the eCall emergency call service, and music streaming all require internet access. Bosch is making connected driving possible in two ways. First, by integrating smartphones in a way that apps can allegedly be operated safely while at the wheel. And second, by installing communication boxes. Thus, drivers of connected vehicles can use their infotainment systems to stream both real-time data and entertainment content.
Because of this internet connection, the car of the future will be able to do much more than stream music – it will become the driver’s personal assistant. As the degree of automation increases, drivers can become passengers whenever they want. “Alongside the home and the office, the car will become the third living environment,” Denner claims.
Connectivity extends beyond the hood: it is also gaining ground in public transportation and car-sharing services. Bosch is offering a glimpse of the future of mobility as part of the so-called Stuttgart Services project. The supplier of technology and services provides a software solution that connects various modes of transport. Thanks to this software, one chip card is all that is needed for car-sharing, bike-sharing, train and bus travel, as well as for admission to amenities such as swimming pools or libraries.
Bosch is one of a growing number of companies that can offer sensors, software, services, and its own IoT cloud to deliver the internet of things from a single source. “Bosch is already well positioned in all key aspects of the internet of things, and will continue to drive this trend forward,” Denner concluded.
