Connected Cars Provide a New Market for Innovative Infrastructure Solutions

Our homes, businesses and ourselves are connected with technology. Occasionally we get a glimpse what the connected car will look like. Cars with built-in WiFi are coming soon according to, "Data Meets the Connected Car: Researchers Tackle the Vehicular Network."

Cars will be able to not only share data, but to make near real-time decisions on that data and act autonomously on it. The only question that remains involves finding the means to maximize WiFi access and minimizing costs of mobile data. 

The article discusses the tricky nature of connectivity:

In theory, a fleet of 1,000 cars could see all of their data aggregated into just five cellular links, even accounting for cars that suddenly break from the network taking their stored up data with them, Cornejo said. The key is for algorithm to define distinct clusters of cars among seemingly random traffic patterns. If the distinctions between those clusters start breaking down, such as one platoon of traffic crosses paths with another, then the whole system breaks down.

Those who thought mobile devices were exciting, had not seen far enough into the future. With the potential rewards this technology can bring, there are also some unresolved issues. We smell a new market for innovative infrastructure solutions.

Megan Feil, July 10, 2012