AI, VR, The Metaverse, self-driving, over the air updates – Alexa, where will it all end!
If you thought cars and car servicing were scary enough now, don’t look too far into the future, with this issue alone we have received two stories on AI for car inspection and servicing (that’s Artificial Intelligence, also sometimes called machine learning). The first is the revolutionary UVeye system, which combines powerful computer vision with deep learning AI to inspect a vehicle for faults, and the second is Nissan using AI in their manufacturing plants for vehicle inspection and quality control.
From the technician’s point of view, the good thing is that these systems could potentially spot more problems, or spot them sooner, resulting in more repair work.
We also see that Jaguar Land Rover is now including Alexa technology in a number of their models. Whilst there have been specific voice systems previously, they tended to be a bit hit and miss, but with Alexa having been refined in millions of homes around the world, it is uncannily accurate – we use one for shopping lists, cooking timers and conversions and it very rarely makes errors.
Self-driving still has some challenges – the latest Tesla system had to be recalled as it had a habit of not stopping at stop signs and most manufacturers are more in the driver assistance space with commercially available models, but development continues apace for true self-driving.
Most manufacturers can now update vehicle software/firmware over the air either when being serviced in the dealership or even out in the wild if the car has connectivity. This can allow upgrades, repairs and adaptations to be installed seamlessly – just as they have been to our PC’s for quite some time.
Manufacturers are also experimenting with subscription charges to unlock additional features on cars, this could simplify manufacture – all features might be fitted on all cars but you pay a monthly fee to unlock them. Tesla already do this now for self-driving software, BMW has experimented with monthly charges to use Carplay or Android Auto which received strong owner pushback and some manufacturers are charging to use remote start features.
 It’s a brave new world and you definitely feel that the pace of change is accelerating.
Happy reading.