Google not the only non-auto participant driverless cars

Although the purpose of the automated driving initiative is supposed to take road safety to the next level, the current legislative vacuum is hindering automakers from launching their automated vehicles they have in store. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have already developed production-ready automated vehicles, which are capable of commuting on a driverless mode. They have chosen however, to disable the functionality due to legislative and real-world imperatives, restricting it to merely assist in traffic jam situations and parking manoeuvres.

At the same time Google is making an impressive step forward with its self-driving vehicle project. For a non-automotive participant, this creates sufficient attention for a participant such as Google moving outside its core competence. While traditional automakers such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and others are yet to make a firm statement on the confirmed launch of vehicles with highly- and fully-automated modes at a decided price, Google is going all out to create vehicles that do not need a driver inside. It remains to be seen, if consumers will trust the likes of a Google in any manoeuvre other than navigation, app-based POI information, etc.

"Contrary to popular belief, Google's self-driving vehicle project is not going to disrupt the way vehicles are made," says Frost & Sullivan Team Leader Automotive & Transportation, Prana T. Natarajan. "Just as automakers have started adding a socket for an aux-cable or a USB slot, they will ensure that their vehicles are Google-X ready. For that matter, Google may not even be the only non-automotive participant in the space for too long."

Legislation and the efforts of traditional automakers aim at ensuring that potentially self-driving vehicles reduce the probability of road-crashes. Google, on the other hand, is looking at the same as a potential business opportunity to leverage technology to ensure that driver distraction does not result in dangerous situations, as the vehicle drives itself. "For Google, it is clearly about connecting the dots. Their solution portfolio covers a plethora of commuting-related services such as connected navigation, Location-based Services either through Google Now or using a pair of Google glasses," Mr. Natarajan continues. "They have the ability to liaise with channel partners to put internet into the cars and ensure that the occupants spend more time using some sort of a Google application or the other; one potential application while outside of such a Google-vehicle is to bring you one, say, as an automated taxi, should you need help in case of a breakdown. So, all it takes for them is a vehicle that can drive itself so that people maximise their time using Google's solutions."

In the United Kingdom however, wearing Google glasses while driving is a punishable offense. Google is, therefore, trying to shift the driving responsibility from the driver to an automated driving module, so that the human driver is downgraded to an occupant of the vehicle, free to use Google glasses, legally so.

A strategic action point for Google to consider would be to cooperate with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) which do not have an action plan to launch an automated driving vehicle in the near future; even more so, with OEMs that do not have the best of ADAS and connectivity systems in their portfolio. Google's solution could be a packaged bundle that takes a two-pronged approach of both active safety and in-vehicle connectivity. A possible proposition is to fit an optional Google-X add-on to a capable vehicle model, on the condition that the OEM would avail of an infotainment package from Google. The much ado about Software-over-the-air and Firmware-over-the-air need not result in nothing, if this proposition is a reality. Thus, the idea would be one of Google making Android-like automated driΠΑΙΔΙΚΑ ΠΑΠΟΥΤΣΙΑ