Automotive

Imaging the Possibilities of Advanced Connectivity

As cars become more advanced and connected, OEMs have to deliberate their data strategy thoughtfully. The number and type of applications, sensors and cameras will continue to grow, and they will need to be regularly maintained and updated during a car’s lifespan. Just like you have been accustomed to your smartphone updates, it becomes normal that connected vehicles are designed to receive updates, including feature upgrades and security patches, over the air (OTA) and transmit diagnostic and operation data from onboard systems to the cloud. By leveraging the connectivity, OEMs can significantly reduce recall expense, slow vehicle depreciation by providing ability to upgrade functionality, increase operational efficiency, and shorten the time to market.

As 5G rolls out across the world, it will take Vehicle-to-Everything communication (V2X) to the next level. Data between vehicles, its surroundings and the cloud provides valuable insights to improve car safety and reduce fatalities on the road, ultimately leading to autonomous driving.

How to manage the increasing complexity for millions of vehicles around the world is a challenge for car OEMs. The key is to have a sophisticated data strategy in place to ensure efficient and reliable executions. Western Digital has been a trusted storage solution supplier to the automotive industry since 2002. We help automotive OEMs and Tier 1s to meet the most demanding requirements and address technical challenges.

From Car to Cloud and Back Again

The rise of intelligent and connected cars has led to a proliferation of data generated inside and outside the vehicle. The question is, what becomes of all that data? Insufficient storage at any point of the Car2Cloud cycle means lost opportunity and unrealized potential. Western Digital is the only data storage company in the world that has an entire product portfolio to support data flow from car to edge to cloud and back again. Our platform products, HDDs, SSDs, and embedded products empower you to capture automotive data at its source so you can leverage it for a competitive edge. Prepare for the future of Car2Cloud with Western Digital.

Safely and Reliably Powering Autonomous Drive

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) pave the way towards autonomous driving. Level 1 to Level 2 driving automation have been widely adopted. OEMs are preparing for Level 3 and beyond. The autonomous drive computer pulls information from sensors, maps, and artificial intelligence (AI) databases to function safely.

iNAND embedded flash drives become crucial to making sure data is available and reliable when it’s needed. Our embedded drives provide real-time in-vehicle storage for the autonomous drive computer to overcome latency and connectivity issues that arise when accessing the cloud.

More Vehicles to Record Video and Car System Data

Drive recorders are a popular aftermarket product for taxis and shared driving services to record what is going on inside and outside of the vehicle. As vehicles become more autonomous, government regulations and insurance companies will likely require that cars are equipped with recorders that can capture both video and critical vehicle system data.

While SD and microSD cards have been an excellent storage solution to capture aftermarket drive recorder video, the industry is shifting towards high-endurance embedded solutions such as iNAND due to the ruggedness of a surface mount device for black box recorder applications that also capture the vehicle’s sensor and system data.

The Future Disruptions of Transportation

Transportation as a Service (TaaS) or Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is considered by many to be the future of transportation. It enables uses to travel from one location to another utilizing shared resources without the hassle of owning a personal vehicle. When companies are piloting their MaaS programs, vehicles will continue to generate ever-larger amounts of data. It is essential to understand and maximize fleet management data. Getting the whole picture of vehicle conditions and performance helps fleet managers increase efficiency and make informed decisions.