Cars are rapidly becoming one of the biggest components of the IoT. With their vast array of sensors and electronics, and inclusion of 4G data connectivity, they have become rolling data platforms.
Data can be sourced from a car’s mechanical components, such as brakes, transmission and engine, and also from the driver: seat position, mirror adjustments, steering wheel tilt, and so on. If analyzed, this data could lead to vast improvements in safety, comfort and performance.
That’s where IBM’s Watson comes in. “The driving experience will change more over the next decade than at any other time of the automobile’s existence,” said Harriet Green, Global Head of IBM’s Watson IoT business.
Thanks to the company’s new Watson IoT headquarters in Munich, IBM is now partnering with companies across all industries to explore how its cognitive platform can become the brains of the IoT. The first of these collaborations is with BMW. Four i8 Hybrid sports cars will serve as prototypes, enabling conversations in natural language between drivers and Watson on topics such as the weather, road conditions or even advice based on the car owner’s manual, which Watson has already memorized.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are cars considered a major part of the Internet of Things?
The article explained that with many sensors and electronics plus 4G data connectivity, cars have become rolling data platforms. Data comes from mechanical parts such as brakes, transmission and engine, and from driver settings like seat position, mirror adjustments and steering wheel tilt.
What could analyzing car data achieve?
According to the article, analyzing the data from a car's components and its driver's adjustments could lead to large improvements in safety, comfort and performance, which is where IBM's Watson was positioned to help.
What did IBM and BMW announce in early 2017?
BMW was the first collaboration from IBM's new Watson IoT headquarters in Munich. Four BMW i8 hybrid sports cars were to serve as prototypes, letting drivers hold natural-language conversations with Watson.
What could drivers talk to Watson about in the BMW prototypes?
Drivers in the prototype cars could converse with Watson about topics such as the weather and road conditions, and could get advice based on the car owner's manual, which Watson had already memorized.
How did IBM see driving changing?
Harriet Green, Global Head of IBM's Watson IoT business, said the driving experience would change more over the next decade than at any other time in the automobile's existence. IBM was partnering across industries to make its cognitive platform the brains of the IoT.