Google wants to be the operating system of choice for automakers’ infotainment and consumers’ daily car functions, and it has at least a couple of automakers interested. Volvo has confirmed it will use Google’s platform for its future models, and Audi said it also is toying with the tech but has stopped short of confirming widespread use. Both automakers had vehicles on display at the annual Google I/O developer conference last week in San Francisco, showing what the Android-based system is capable of. So what exactly is it capable of?
In short, it should offer a faster, more seamless way for consumers to control functions in their vehicle and beyond, according to Google and the automakers. Unlike Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which essentially mirror limited smartphone functions using an overlay on top of vehicles’ stock infotainment systems, the Android OS is built in and does not require a mobile device. Users can access a range of apps such as Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, and Spotify along with controlling basic vehicle features such as air conditioning, radio, and windows. It puts the Google Assistant artificial-intelligence software in charge of handling voice commands. If you haven’t heard of Google Assistant, think of it as an AI competitor for Amazon’s Echo and Apple’s Siri.
At Google I/O, Chen Xiao, manager of Google Assist on the Android auto team, said in a live-streamed presentation that these developments point toward cars’ further integration into consumers’ lives, beyond simply getting people from one place to another. For example, if you’re running late and rush out the door and then, on your drive to work, can’t remember whether you shut off a light at your house, you can ask Google Assistant whether you did or not. If you forgot to, and you have a connected home, you can ask Google Assistant to turn it off for you while you’re driving.
The interior of the Audi Q8 Sport concept.
If you’re leaving work late, have no dinner plans, and want to get carryout, you could order food while driving using voice commands. You could also have the system search for a restaurant based on your current time, location, and availability and then make dinner reservations. Or you could just ask it to turn on some music and try to forget that you’re hungry. It’s all part of the increasingly tangled Internet of Things and the rise of AI. As Xian said, “The Google Assistant can provide that intelligent and conversational voice as we move from a mobile-first to an AI-first world.”
Voice-recognition functions in many late-model cars and trucks so far have left much to be desired. If Google’s Android-based system works as well as the company says it does, it could be an attractive choice for other automakers to save time and money on research and development of their own in-house solutions; several automakers have already tried, with mixed to poor results. Some have been reluctant to partner with big Silicon Valley firms on infotainment—in part so that they can maintain their own access to user data—since in-car technologies are seen as critical parts of wooing buyers and opening new revenue streams.
Ford had been cautious in this regard, but then it announced at the CES technology show in January that it is integrating Amazon Echo into its Sync 3 infotainment platform. As with Google Assistant, users can ask the Echo-based system to remotely start their car, unlock its doors, check the fuel level, and so on. Car-to-home commands also are in the works.
Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, as seen in a 2017 Audi R8.
Audi showcased the Android OS in its Q8 Sport concept at Google I/O but so far has held off on confirming the technology’s use in future production models. The system is controlled by Audi’s MMI touchscreen in the center of the dashboard and includes visuals displayed via the brand’s existing Virtual Cockpit. Audi has partnered with the tech behemoth before on ventures such as using Google Earth’s street view in the vehicle.
Volvo showed Android OS in a V90 at Google I/O. The automaker said it will start rolling it out in its production vehicles within two years. “With the advent of Android, we will embrace a rich ecosystem while keeping our iconic Volvo user interface,” Henrik Green, Volvo’s senior vice president of of research and development, said in an announcement for the partnership. “We will offer hundreds of popular apps and the best integrated experience in this broad, connected environment.”
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