Infotainment systems provide the driver with navigation-related information for driving the car safely.
These systems provide entertainment to passengers in the form of music and videos.
The infotainment system uses various features such as GPS, sensors, LCDs, audio players, video players, and the Internet to enhance the user experience while driving.
The infotainment system comprises hardware and software components.
Hardware components include LCDs, GPS, Wi-Fi, and camera among others, whereas, software component consists of an operating system, application software, and navigation maps.
What is an infotainment system?
A car infotainment system makes use of hardware and software technology to deliver entertainment and information to the vehicle occupants.
They typically comprise audio and video interfaces, touchscreens and keypads. Infotainment systems are incredibly versatile and vary from car to car.
As such, they offer a diverse offering of helpful functionalities that enhance the in-vehicle experience for all such as playing music, hands-free phone connections, reverse cameras, and much more.
History of in-vehicle infotainment and car data storage
When it comes to cars, these three things are all intertwined – data, storage, and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems.
The IVI needs data to be – well – “infotainment.” Whether it’s music, movies, traffic updates, or maps – it’s all data served up by the IVI to make your ride more enjoyable and convenient.
And whenever you have data, you also need a way to store it.
The shift toward in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems powered by flash-based memory has been decades in the making.
But did you know that Tuxera is also a part of this history?
Read on for a brief rundown of how IVI and in-car data storage have evolved over the years – and how we fit into that story.
We’ll start off where IVI begins, the radio!
- Radio – the early ancestor, pre-1940s
- Mechanical “data” storage in the 1940s
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- Cassette tape era and analog data storage
- The 1990s – CD was king
- The 2000s – as it turns out, IVI is a millennial!
- The 2010s – enter Tuxera
- The Evolution of In-Vehicle GPS Navigation
satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) was first developed by the US military in the 1970s to provide geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on Earth.
The first car to boast an in-built navigation system was Toyota’s 1981 Celica model.
Dubbed NAVICOM, the system was controlled by a microcomputer which continuously displayed graphs showing direction and distance to a pre-coded destination.
1990 saw Mazda introduce the first-ever GPS system for automotive navigational use.
Since then, GPS technology has advanced significantly and again has become standard in many new cars in 2019.
1. Infotainment
If we’re talking about vehicle-powered data and connectivity, then let’s think of vehicles as devices. The automobile is becoming mobile in every sense.
Therefore, connected cars need to offer experiences that mirror those on a mobile device – think voice control, social media, movies, and music.
In-car infotainment technology is expected to generate $15 billion in sales by 2021, up from $7 billion in 2016, and investment into in-car technology has meant major advancement in the quality and diversity of the market.
Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology will provide far more accurate, current, and personalized navigation information than is currently available.
It is expected that all new cars on the road will have V2V technology installed by 2023.
Instead of today’s centralized navigation systems, vehicles will communicate with each other, making smart decisions through data gathered from other vehicles’ speeds and journey times, plus road conditions and weather.
3. Fleet management
B2B distributors and fleet operators can utilize data to gain valuable insight into driving behavior and vehicle performance, whilst being able to provide real-time updates to customers.
Predictive maintenance will be hugely beneficial, with vehicles monitored for faults, automatically generating proactive maintenance notifications, which will reduce unplanned maintenance and unexpected vehicle downtime.
4. Safety & security
Many cars on our roads today already have integrated sensors to monitor and regulate a car’s operation, with smart ignition, brakes, and transmission systems.
Examples such as LiDAR, radar, cameras, and ultrasonics are making our journeys safer, and connectivity with cloud technologies will only increase their intelligence.
5. Regional analysis
The global market for in-car infotainment is estimated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period from 2018 to 2023.
The geographical analysis of the in-car infotainment market is done for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the rest of the world.
Europe is expected to contribute to the largest market share for the in-car infotainment market owing to the increasing demand for in-car infotainment in the automobile industry.
European Union has made telematics control mandatory in automobiles mainly in passenger cars which are expected to drive the growth of the in-car infotainment market in Europe.
North America is expected to register an outrageous growth for the in-car infotainment market as key players such as Ford motors are partnering with big players such as Amazon to make new developments in the infotainment systems.
Additionally, the presence of major key players such as General Motors, Apple Inc, is working towards enhancing the user experience using infotainment systems.
6. Segmentation
Component, the market is segmented into hardware and software.
The hardware is further sub-segmented into display units and audio units.
Vehicle type, the market is segmented into passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles.
Connectivity, the market is segmented into V2V, mobile and voice control.
Installation, the market is segmented into OEM and aftermarket.
The region, the market is segmented into North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the rest of the world.
7. Intended audience
- Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)
- Infotainment system manufacturers
- In-car infotainment software providers
- In-car infotainment display manufacturer
- System integrators
- In-car infotainment hardware manufacturer
8. In-Vehicle infotainment with DiSTI
UI designers and software developers often have to sacrifice important features or performance to achieve a visually appealing UI.
To optimize user experience in the design of instrument clusters, head-up displays, infotainment, rear-seat entertainment, and connected car mobile apps, they need a powerful UI tool.
9. Advanced infotainment systems
The current trend in infotainment includes support for multiple ultra-high-definition displays and cameras, artificial intelligence integration, and of course advanced audio-visual systems.
And with the rollout of 5G, cellular vehicle-to-everything communication (C-V2X) will make vehicles ever more integrated with each other and the surrounding environment (e.g., elements of smart cities) while helping to maintain a high level of connectivity in moving vehicles.
All of this adds its own unique challenges and requirements including the need for strong mobile computing capabilities, complex concurrency, isolation from real-time and safety-critical systems, increased wiring and integration complexity, and power efficiency.
10. Infotainment head unit
Advanced infotainment processors with display drivers and a wide range of connectivity options can be combined with analog/digital terrestrial tuners, audio power amplifiers, and multi-constellation GNSS positioning devices to create a complete infotainment head unit solution.
Environmental test for the automotive industry
There are four aspects of environmental tests for automotive: Climatic Environment Test, Mechanical Environment Test, Chemical Environment Test, and Electronic Environment Test.
Rachel Lee has 3+ years’ experience in Primary & Secondary Market Research, Business Analysis, Market Trend Mapping & Forecast, Size, Share, Competitive Intelligence, etc. As a Research Analyst at Market Research Future, Rachel is responsible for report making, data analysis, data forecasting, handling consults and ad-hoc client requests and diligent with strong problem solving to build information products aligned with client’s requirements.
