Image Credit: Shutterstock.com / posteriori
The car was once a physical embodiment of freedom and liberty, allowing us to drop everything and take to the open road. Today, it’s a symbol of oppression — a mobile prison cell where drivers “do time” as they sit in traffic on their daily commute.
Over the next decade, this may change: Self-driving technology will allow passengers to focus their attention on other tasks. That same commute could become a source of great excitement, a private moment in the day for work or pleasure.There are still technological challenges to be overcome before self-driving vehicles can be allowed onto the streets. The technology underpinning existing voice recognition services like Siri and Alexa is safe in the home, but can’t be trusted with human lives on the road. In this instance, the process of launching and then iterating isn’t an option. (You could argue it shouldn’t be an option when it comes to keeping your home’s doors locked, either.)
As the driver role shifts from human to machine, the distinguishing features of vehicles are destined to shift from exterior to interior. Rather than the leather upholstery or futuristic curves in bodywork, a car’s quality will be determined by what its software can offer in terms of a complete and personal driver experience.
This major transformation will undoubtedly be painful for the automotive industry — not unlike how iOS and Android obliterated early mobile operating systems like Nokia’s Symbian.
In the case of mobile, hardware evolved but software stole the show.So, what will this redefined driving experience be like? To get an idea, we can look to the home. We’re already experiencing a domestic revolution as voice-powered experiences continue to permeate the connected-home…
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