TL;DR
- Android Automotive already powers the dash UI of some vehicles.
- Google wants to make it easy for manufacturers to use software to control car systems with Android Automotive OS for Software Defined Vehicles.
- Renault Group and Qualcomm are early partners in the effort, with a source code release planned for later this year.
Modern automobiles are already computers on wheels, so it only makes sense that we’ve seen them begin to formally embrace mobile operating systems like Android. Right now, that basically takes one of two forms: You can use Android Auto to get content from your phone onto your car’s dash, or you can pick up an Android Automotive vehicle, which has its own Android experience baked right in. Now Google’s looking to double down on Android Automotive in a big way, as it introduces its Android Automotive OS for Software Defined Vehicles (AAOS SDV).
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The idea here is that an increasing number of vehicle systems exist largely as software, and Android Automotive wants to help pick up some of the slack in controlling them. Look at locks, for example: Many cars don’t even use traditional keys anymore, with driver authentication all done wirelessly. For non-safety-related systems like these (nothing where a glitch could lead to a crash), AAOS SDV could offer car manufacturers a convenient, easy-to-update alternative to more restrictive solutions.
Google hopes that AAOS SDV will speed up the development and roll-out of new features, while its connectivity tools will enable notifications for things like maintenance reminders.
Already, Google has found a partner in the Renault Group, and has been working with Qualcomm to get AAOS SDV ready for its full launch (along with the all-important source code release) sometime later this year. It remains to be seen how many car makers might be interested in taking advantage of those tools, but considering the support both Android Auto and Android Automotive have already received, we’re cautiously optimistic.
Manufacturers will still have full control over how their vehicles take shape, but using an AAOS SDV framework would save them from having to reinvent a lot of the infrastructure that software-based vehicles rely on. Saving time and money are both pretty appealing to businesses, and so long as Google is able to get its messaging right with how it introduces everything, we just might see
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