Smart cars have long been the subject of optimism in the auto industry, with their suites of advanced driver assistance and road safety features. Handy as they are, however, their convenient systems come with a substantially higher price tag. For now, however, many car owners are opting into a cheaper, more modular way to enhance their driving experience: a network of IoT devices. This makes it so that even pre-loved cars can enjoy the same features as smart cars. While IoT remains small at the moment, enough devices can create quite a functional imitation of smart car tech suites,for a fraction of the price.
The DIY Smart Car
Smart cars are what many analysts claim to be one of the biggest forces pushing the automotive industry forward. However, many car owners are unwilling to just pick up and leave their old cars in place of a shiny new one, mainly because of exorbitant prices. Still, lots of people want to experience enhanced safety measures and quality-of-life conveniences for themselves, and the Internet of Things is rising to meet that demand. With the right mix of connected devices, a user can create his own little ecosystem capable of matching the capabilities and features of your standard smart car.
These devices come equipped with IoT-enabled sensing equipment to gather data about the car, such as the health and integrity of its engine and fuel levels. There are also interior-facing dashboard cameras that surmise whether a driver is distracted based on the position of their face and posture, ensuring that drivers have their attention on the road at all times. Security features can be put in place as well, with sensors observing the door mechanisms for signs of forced entry, notifying the owner, and tracking the car on GPS if the culprit drives it away. These features are strung together by internal eSIMs connecting each device to the Internet and each other.
IoT Modularity and Customizability: Better Than Premade Suites?
A major advantage that many IoT devices pose over the premade tech suites in Smart Cars is their higher degree of customizability and modularity. Besides that, users can choose the best car to house their IoT ecosystem for themselves without having to stick to a particular brand. This is especially important for businesses on a tight budget when choosing a company vehicle, as smart cars exist as somewhat of an expensive novelty at the moment.
Users can choose which features they want to commit interior space and power resources to. Those who emphasize on efficiency can use only the devices they think they absolutely need to make their driving experience better, to save on power costs and to minimize the amount of stuff in the interior. Those who wish for a truly tricked-out experience can keep collecting IoT devices as they come out, eventually beating out smart cars in sheer number of features in the long run.
With their comprehensive collection of useful gizmos, smart cars are slowly carving a niche for themselves in the automobile market. However, it would seem that car owners are better suited to sticking with their current vehicle or buying a compact, fuel-efficient car and outfitting it with IoT devices to get their fix of nifty quality-of-life features.
