Volvo is partnering with Ericsson to try and find ways of boosting mobile Internet's bandwidth to keep people entertained on the road. – AFP/RelaxNews pic, January 5, 2016.While some companies will be debuting ideas they hope will one day help cars of the future take on some more of the driving responsibility, at this year's CES Volvo is already looking at ways to keep people connected and entertained when the autonomous car is the only type of car on the road.
To that extent, it is partnering with Ericsson to try and find ways of boosting mobile Internet's bandwidth sufficiently so that no matter what the driving conditions or the route ahead, people will be able to carry on binge-watching Netflix.
"We are actively working on future solutions to deliver the best user experience in fully autonomous mode. Imagine a highway full of autonomous cars with their occupants sitting back watching their favourite TV shows in high definition. This new way of commuting will demand new technology and a much broader bandwidth to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience," said Anders Tylman, general manager of the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Centre at Volvo Car Group.
Therefore, the two companies are trying to solve the problem of ensuring a fast mobile Internet connection that can be maintained in rural areas even when the thing connected to the net is travelling at high speed, but that's just the start.
Volvo wants to make the connection itself as smart as it is strong, automatically making allowances, via buffering for instance, based on the route the car is about to take and access to signals.
"Our research shows that almost 70% of all mobile data traffic will be from video in the coming years. This requires an innovative connectivity, cloud and analytics solution that is not only capable of serving multiple moving vehicles across a highway, but also has the capacity to provide the high-quality, uninterrupted video service today's consumer is accustomed to," said Claes Herlitz, head of automotive services at Ericsson.
The ultimate goal is to make multimedia consumption part of the navigation process.
"If you want to watch the latest episode of your favourite series, the car will know how long the journey needs to take and can optimise the route and driving control accordingly.
“With autonomous drive it is no longer just a question of getting from A to B quickly – it's about the experience you wish to have in the car, how you wish to spend the time you are saving.
“With our future autonomous drive technology, we will provide people with the freedom to choose the way they would like to commute and the content they would like to experience,” said Tylman. – AFP/RelaxNews, January 5, 2016.
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