Digital Transformation in Practice : Learning from IIC Deployments
means covering as many of the concerns of modern electrified , autonomous vehicles as possible . New services can be offered that change the way vehicles work . They can be integrated into systems beyond the vehicle , improving efficiency and providing features to drivers and passengers that stretch into the world outside . But all the security concerns of being connected must be considered so as not to affect running the vehicle . For example , a denial-of-service attack should never change the drivability of the vehicle . And real-time data collection and response with limited resources goes well beyond what most IT systems can do . Only by combining techniques from both worlds will a successful OTA be possible .
The operational impact is immense . A vehicle may no longer be viewed as a build-once system , where maintenance is the concern of the vehicle owner , focused on managing physical wear and tear . Once the vehicle becomes part of a wider IT system , OTA becomes mandatory , if only to provide periodic security updates for maintaining the trustworthiness of the vehicle . The vehicle OEM must remain connected to the vehicle over its lifetime . Currently , consumer devices , such as mobile phones and internet routers , are provided with updates for around four to five years , while a vehicle might have a service lifetime of 20 ~ 30 years and electric vehicles may last longer . Adding functionality to the vehicle over time might become a new revenue stream . Access to operational data from the vehicle will revolutionize vehicle maintenance .
The successful implementation of the testbed will have the following operational advantages on the automotive OTA update process :
• Limiting updates to what is required ,
• Understanding the current software version for each component for updates ,
• Ensuring that only the systems where the update is authorized are updated ,
• Being able to update any vehicle ( most ) anywhere ,
• Reverting any update without exception ,
• Being able to update , within reason ( safety ), a running system ,
• Ensuring that only authorized software can be deployed ,
• No compromise to security , safety , integrity , resilience , or robustness of the system and
• Use Li-Fi for OTA updates and V2X communication to address the challenges associated with RF such as signal interference / jamming and limited capacity .
The impact on customer experience will not be any less . OTA is a key factor in making autonomous driving systems trustworthy . The AI models behind autonomous driving will evolve as the body of knowledge of the environmental impact on driving improves and as the environment , both physical and legal , evolves . New features can be added at the touch of a screen . In fact , the driver may no longer configure the car in the car , but rather from any browser or smartphone . The customer will be able to buy services , prepare trips and schedule maintenance online .
None of this can happen with the current business models for vehicles . The OEM will need a reliable revenue stream to keep software updated . Some of this might come from selling new
62 November 2021