29 PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES Connected cars
the market you already have, because you don’t have an automotive market yet. And for the automotive companies, it gives them a chance to continue a relationship that normally stops at the point of sale. “With a view to the idea that this cockpit will become semi-autonomous, then autonomous, then an entertainment pod, car companies are looking to build their brand beyond the metal.” DRIVING AWAY THE COMPETITION The media-connected car of the future – for an additional monthly fee – could deliver content through a branded entertainment app that works seamlessly through the main driver console and across other screens in the vehicle, as well as via apps on customer mobile devices in the vehicle. “Obviously this isn’t going to come in the next one or two years,” says Guest, “but the problem that the car companies can foresee is that if they don’t move into providing these kinds of services now, then the car will end up being effectively branded by California – you’ll end up having a Google car or an Apple car. From a consumer perspective, maybe we don’t care, but that’s relationship with their drivers could then enable car companies to open the door to all kinds of other possibilities, including targeted advertising. This could prove especially lucrative given the whole new set of data that can be extracted from the driving experience. This includes not only location data, but speed, weather, surrounding traffic conditions and destination. Enhanced by AI, it could determine who is driving the car, with what passengers and for what purpose. Drivers could be served personalised ads based on their route: “Why not stop in that Starbucks two blocks ahead? There’s a parking spot available.” Future business models for car companies could include different entertainment packages and subscriptions for car owners. The packages could be upgradeable to include all kinds of premium content, potentially content produced solely for subscribers to that in-car media service. These services could also enhance car rentals, taxis, public transport – and almost certainly your local Uber or Lyft ride. Wi-Fi hotspots will also start to come as standard in cars, which also offers another option for manufacturers, but a potential challenge to their own in-car branded subscriptions. “We’re at the start of what could be a massive marketplace,” says Guest, “and video is a huge element driving that.” the worst thing for a car brand.” Establishing an ongoing media
AI IS MY COPILOT The most revolutionary feature of the connected car is not so much the passenger watching the technology, but the technology watching the passenger. Swedish AI start-up Valossa has been demoing intelligent car technology to monitor and analyse not only who is driving the vehicle, but what they are doing and even what they are feeling. Valossa’s speciality is a live AI model that analyses video data in real time with high precision. One quickly identify faces, objects, places, activities, speech and sounds, and categorise, flag content, or apply any other metadata based on the user’s selected parameters. This same AI technology can also be applied to video collected by an in-car camera. Video of driver and passengers can be analysed for deep monitoring of driver or passenger behaviour, sentiments and direction of attention. AI-assisted human analysis can detect changes such as driver distractions, fatigue and even states of high emotion. Though still in its trial stages, the technology could appeal to insurance companies, public transport and of course law enforcement – anyone basically for whom the physical, mental and emotional state of a driver is a significant factor in doing their job well. At a more consumer-friendly level, in-car video analysis can identify who is driving and who is a passenger, automatically adjusting seat, mirror and other comfort settings, as well as selecting content based on each person’s known favourites, or on how they appear to be feeling and how awake they are. Road rage setting in? Cue the Brian Eno. Feeling fatigued in the last leg of a long journey? It’s Ride Of The Valkyries, turned up to 11. And your smile will be recorded. of its major markets is content management, where its AI can
to be watched and continued across devices in the home. It has combined its browser heritage and in-home media experience into Twine for Car, a product enabling automotive OEMs to provide branded entertainment services to automobile screens, from rear-seat units to mobile devices. “Twine for Car gives you a set of features that will be applicable as we transition from where we are now towards electric vehicles and autonomous cars,” says Access Europe’s Robert Guest, VP of Product Management. “We’re working with content companies to provide a full package. We have the technology component, but can also provide OTT and streamed video, audio and games. We want to become a service platform for the car, rather than just a component.” A MARKET ON THE MOVE Car manufacturers and OEMs are currently in some disarray. “Diesel-gate” has forced a sudden shifting of gears, and the rapid de-escalation of fossil fuel use required over the next few years means car companies are searching for new ways to differentiate brands, boost revenue and add value. Opening up the possibilities for creating a new in-vehicle content market could be a gold mine. Guest explains: “If you’re treating the car as a new market for video and audio, the beauty of it from a content company perspective is that you’re not cannibalising
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