Please make no mistake; we’re yet to explore the full potential of AI across all industries. Though AI implementation is still at a nascent stage in many industries, how it’s being used in the automotive sector makes it a hot-button issue right now.
Today, autonomous or self-driving vehicles are a hot topic in the automotive industry, and many companies are investing heavily in AI to progress its advancement. IDC predicts AI spending will increase by more than 50% to reach $57.6 billion by the end of 2021.
But AI is not limited to self-driving cars in the automotive space. Many car manufacturers are leveraging features like speech control, collision detection, lane switch, and more, to improve road safety.
And as technology continues to evolve, car accessories like AI dash cams and IoT devices are becoming more critical than ever, especially for fleet companies. Let’s look at the various ways AI is changing the vehicle technology space.
Autonomous vehicles development
AI and autonomous driving are inseparable. Today, many vehicle manufacturers are working to build their own self-driving cars powered by artificial intelligence applications.
NuTonomy, a Massachusetts-based company, which later became Aptiv, that builds self-driving cars and autonomous robots, creates autonomous technology for completely driverless cars. Using AI technology and sensors, these vehicles can navigate even the most complex traffic situations.
AutoX is another player that is set to change the grocery delivery game with its state-of-the-art autonomous vehicles. These vehicles combine artificial intelligence engines, sensors, high-tech cameras, and thousands of test miles, both real and virtual, to ensure safe driving on the roads.
While fully autonomous cars have not made it to the showrooms yet, many companies are working around the clock to make this dream a reality.
AutoX, for instance, recently launched their pilot program in a geo-fenced zone in California and are planning to expand the area soon. Aptiv is also not left behind as they recently partnered with Lyft to test out this tech in Boston’s Seaport District.
Driver assistance
While autonomous driving is the hottest topic in the automotive space, AI-powered driver assistance is the one feature all drivers want in their vehicles.
Artificial intelligence has immensely contributed to safe driving through many applications that alert the driver to dangers ahead. AI uses several sensors for collision detection, lane monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and sends timely alerts to the driver.
Driver assistance has also been made possible through the use of AI-enabled dashcams. These intelligent cameras have been gaining traction over the years due to their ability to enforce safe driving. An AI dashcam can:
- Collect accurate road data and transmit it to other devices
- Analyze data in real-time and advise the driver on the best course of action
- Detect distracting driving habits and alert the driver promptly
- Provide real-time incident detection and preventative in-cab coaching
Leading AI dashcams, use special technology (embedded AI engine and g-force accelerometer data) to analyze the roads and detect risky driving behaviors. If distracted driving is detected, the dashcam will audibly alert the driver so they can adjust behavior.
Also interesting: Self-Driving Car Neural Network in GTA V with Python
Fault prevention and correction
The implementation of AI into vehicles has made the concept of maintenance shift from preventive to predictive one. Algorithms can detect engine vehicle anomalies and send fault code alerts to the operators. Advanced engines will even provide over-the-air vehicle diagnostics and attempt to fix anomalies that are not mechanical.
For example, using data detected from in-vehicle sensors, an AI device installed in a car can identify untimely braking scenarios, understand their causes and correct them. AI can also analyze data through machine learning and provide conditioned real-time alerts for your vehicle’s maintenance needs.
This guest article has been provided by Erika Rykun.
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by Obi Onyeador. The photo in the body of the article has been done by Maximalfocus.
Source: IDC press release
Editorial notice: Update April-18 – This article was originally a sponsored article, but due to later changes, some of the original links and references were now removed.
