The Connected Vehicle, next wave is Autonomous Vehicle

A few weeks back, we discussed where we are today with the two waves of "The Connected Vehicle." 1st we focused on bringing WiFi and 4G/LTE to the vehicle. Now let's jump into the power of the Autonomous Vehicle, the 2nd wave.

According to Techopedia, the definition of Autonomous Vehicles is, "An autonomous car is a vehicle that can guide itself without human conduction. This kind of vehicle has become a concrete reality and may pave the way for future systems where computers take over the art of driving. An autonomous car is also known as a driverless car, robot car, self-driving car or autonomous vehicle."

For many out there, these concepts are so far out there that is is challenging to understand what this means to both us as consumers, as well as industry and businesses. Let's call the market AV for short, since we will be discussing scenarios throughout this blog. The AV market has the chance to disrupt industries in the transportation marketplace, as well as disrupt the way goods and services get transported and delivered throughout the world. Before we get too technical, lets focus on what this really means to us as consumers, consumers who drive our vehicles every day to work, school, leisure places, and events.

Below are some real-world scenarios on how AV will impact the consumer, imagine this...Scheduling your planned driving at the beginning of the week (work, taking kids to school, taking kids to sports activities, medical appointments, etc.) - knowing your fuel and mileage up front

• Riding alongside your kids on the way to school, working on homework, reviewing projects and activities for the day, and getting one-on-one time with your children and even spouse (if you carpool)
• Becoming productive in vehicles for work, watching the news while drinking your coffee, listening to a podcast or work-related video, getting an early start to your day with work calls or phone meetings or even video conference calls
• Feeling safe and secure, knowing the traffic ahead is something your vehicle is already aware of and is rerouting your normal commute to the school and office in a more efficient and safe route
• Listening to your vehicle provide you options to the closest donut or coffee shop, and verbally telling your vehicle your choice, your vehicle then drives you to that location (Imaging Alexa and Siri combined with your car)
• On a long road trip, your car knows the weather and road conditions on your route, and makes intelligent decisions to route your trip for the optimum safety and safest roads
• Your college kid, after a night on the town (think party and alcohol), is safety driven to his or her home and you can visibly see that he/she safely arrived to his/her college dorm through an alert

These are just basic scenarios, but the power of convenience and time is what AV will do for you as a consumer. Now let's explore business or industry impacts. Imagine this...Shipping, logistics, and transport becomes fully automated through scheduling, loading, and delivery

• The common man-made errors, mistakes, and risks go away...think driver fatigue, under the influence drivers, texting and driving drivers
• Smart routing is the norm, meaning your goods and services being delivered are routed as smart as can be around traffic and around bad weather
• Your crew of delivery drivers now have time for other important tasks like business meetings, logistics management, data entry or scanning, and much more
• Taxis, Uber-like Services, and ride-share have whole new meaning and the power of concierge and personal services are now even more enhanced because drivers are not "stuck" to the wheel (Think luxury and spa like services for business travelers)
• Commuter services transition as well, commuter-based AV become the norm and again personal and luxe services provide for convenience, personal touch, and catering to the customer

Again, for the business world this definitely changes the way we look at delivery, transportation, and logistics, but it also throws a wrench into traditional commuter and transport services. The industry needs to look at this from an opportunity stand-point and not focus on businesses, jobs, and services that become obsolete. Personal and customized services become the huge opportunity here. What are your thoughts? How could this impact your business or your personal life?

Recent Related News on AV

• Navigating the Future of Electric and Autonomous Vehicles
• General Motors turns its back on long history in Europe
• AAA survey shows most people fearful of autonomous vehicles
• Toyota unveils its new crazy-looking autonomous vehicle platform
• Autonomous vehicle bill advances in House Committee

For further reading, please check out the related blog regarding the 1st wave of The Connected Vehicle.

For more information, please visit our RESEARCH page to explore other technologies and market indicators.

Written by Stephanie Atkinson, CEO of Compass Intelligence, LLC