In-Car Connectivity Gets a Boost with Ultrasonic Technology. By Rodney Williams, Co-founder and CCO, LISNR.
Driving and smartphones have become irrevocably linked. Whether mobile technology is helping drivers customise the driving experience – like putting on their favourite radio station or adjusting the seat based on their preferences – the fact is that mobile will play an increasing role in the future of in-car connectivity. And the enabling technology behind this move to seamless driving experiences is called ultrasonic technology.
One automotive company that has proven the usefulness of mobile-driven ultrasonic technology is Jaguar Land Rover. The company rigorously tested and implemented LISNR’s technology, in order to prove that ultrasonic sound waves were an effective way to tailor the driving experience by offering a superior connection between driver mobile devices and their vehicles.
Since the Jaguar Land Rover launch, the explosion of ridesharing has increased the use cases and usefulness of ultrasonic technology. The auto industry has pivoted significantly, with a number of urban dwellers deciding against their own vehicles and instead sharing with others, through rideshare and carshare services. These drivers and riders shouldn’t be left out of the move to personalisation. In rideshare, in particular, this comes down to safety: making sure the right passenger enters the right car and gets on to their destination.
Current solutions to verify passengers requires verbal confirmation or pin code entries, but neither meets the standards of ease that the lure of rideshare promotes.
So, what can automotive companies and rideshare providers do to stay at the forefront of auto tech? The driving experience has always featured best in class technology to get drivers and passengers to their destination safely and in style. But over time, technologies became difficult to implement, leaving drivers and passengers with a sub-par experience. For example, connecting to a car’s Bluetooth technology to play music from a smartphone is typically a cumbersome undertaking.
There are many other places where auto companies are missing the connection with their customers. Take keyless entry or in-car payments as examples. Both of these offerings are becoming standard in new car models, yet these functions have not yet realised their full potential. But both rideshare and automotive companies can improve the driving and riding experience with the help of ultrasonic technology.
How Ultrasonic Technology Works
Ultrasonic technology removes the need for manual connections (think: pushing a button to adjust a seat or toggling Bluetooth off and on to attempt to pair a driver’s phone and their vehicle). Instead, the connection is automatic. All a driver needs is a smartphone app and vehicle that both have ultrasonic technology-enabled software developer kits installed, in addition to standard microphones and speakers. Then, based on their proximity, the vehicle and smartphone will automatically pair.
When it comes to rideshare, this also works from smartphone to smartphone. For example, a passenger gets close to a car in a row of black Priuses and gets a notification when they are next to the car they hailed. This all happens through software and sound.
Ultrasonic technology transmits customisable packets of data every second and can be configured into dash displays and embedded in-vehicle operating systems to be used for wireless and in-vehicle data communication, analytics, and content management.
The Bottom Line
When entering a vehicle, the driving experience should be incredibly personalised. The temperature, music, and seat settings should be consistent with the driver’s preferences. Utilising ultrasonic technology, drivers can not only be securely recognised, but customisable elements can be communicated to the vehicle using standard speakers and microphones. Not to mention, seamless Bluetooth and WiFi pairing. This means creating a frictionless driving and riding experience each and every time – all thanks to ultrasonic technology.
Rodney Williams will be speaking at SHIFT Automotive, which is taking place from 10-11 September 2019 in Berlin, in conjunction with IFA, the world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. To book your ticket or enquire about being an exhibitor visit: https://b2b.ifa-berlin.com/IFA/ConventionsConferences/Shiftautomotive/
About LISNR
LISNR enables secure and seamless connectivity and authentication using the most advanced ultrasonic data platform. This allows drivers and passengers to be able to seamlessly access, connect, and customise their driving experience. Learn more at lisnr.com.
