Technology is having a far-fetched effect on every aspect of our lives, whether it is shopping, communication, transport, banking & finance, manufacturing, etc. Every sector is positively impacted with the advancements of technology including the ‘Education’ sector. When we talk about Education, the thing that comes to mind is school, books, rote learning, assignments, etc. but gradually schools are also embracing technology in order bring a fun & interactive flavor to the traditional learning approach.
Before mobiles, computers, tablets, etc. became mainstream, students were primarily judged by their marks, but that could have also been achieved by doing rote learning. But now, kids have access to many more avenues from where they can acquire knowledge due to which the traditional learning approach has shifted from ‘Rote Learning‘ to ‘Application based (practical) learning‘. Traditional schools are definitely not going away, but the key-stakeholders in the education eco-system namely, students, teachers, parents, have come to realize that ‘The best learning can often be self-taught‘.
In the next 30 years, according to UNESCO more people worldwide will be graduating than since the beginning of history. Adding to this effect of technology on work, demography & explosion of population is changing the employment picture drastically.
To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.
With fast changing times, STEM education & DIY based learning approach is gaining more popularity in the educational space. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM education is gaining more popularity with each passing day and the specialty about STEM education is that these subjects are taught as cohesive subjects instead of independent ones. Unlike the traditional class-room approach, where the flow of information is mainly one-way [from teacher to students], the STEM based approach follows hands-on and project-based approach. In a traditional learning approach, students compete with each other to get better grades which is a ‘competition based methodology’, whereas STEM follows ‘an amalgamation of competition-collaborative approach’.
It is more experimental, fosters learning, creativity as well as team-work. Since it is experimental, kids also get a chance to experience ‘failure’ which is an important step in the journey to success. Just like the industry is slowly shifting its direction to more DIY [Do It Yourself] and MOOC [Massive Open Online Courses] in order to ensure that working class employees are updated with the current trends, the STEM style of education also ensures that students get a chance to work on things that they like and collectively learn via the DIY method.
Western countries have acknowledged the importance of STEM education and have taken significant steps towards inclusion of STEM in their education system. At India level, ‘Atal Tinkering Lab‘ [ATL] program by Government of India is the first significant step in the direction of STEM education in India. Parents are also recognizing the need and engaging their child into various STEM programs such as robotics, electronics making etc.
As per a report by Indeed.com, India’s STEM talent sees shortage despite maximum graduates. The average level of shortage of skilled talent in India has risen from 6 per cent in January, 2014 to 12 per cent in January, 2018 in the STEM sector. Shift towards higher education will not only give a boost to STEM sector, but also help expand India’s contribution to the global talent pool.
Indeed’s data also indicates that job seekers in the age group of 21~25 show 12 per cent more interest in STEM jobs than in any other sector.
To summarize, whether STEM education can be integrated as a part of the main curriculum is a point of discussion, STEM definitely helps in nurturing our kids for the future & in the process make them employable[and not just educated] for jobs of the future. It also helps in creating talented innovators, scientists, engineers, etc. which is the need of the hour for a rapidly-developing country like India.
STEM Education – Challenges and Road Ahead
While STEM is important, schools or parents face number of challenges while implementing STEM via electronics, robotics and automation.
Just to name a few, need of skilled teacher/mentor, availability of right electronic components, risk posed by activities such as soldering, wiring etc. This could hinder limit school activates in STEM area. Add to that compatibility of component and availability add to the difficulty.
Due to these factors, the Edtech sector has been grabbing attention from entrepreneurs as well as investors. Whether it is about online tutoring, MOOC, skill development, differentiated learning, test preparation, etc. ed-tech still provides a huge opportunity [Source]. MakerInMe Technologies, a Bengaluru based startup aims to create a dent in the STEM education market with it’s modularized electronic kits, also called as Cretile.
Cretile is a kit of modular Electronics, Robotic & IoT modular building block. Cretiles are like ‘LEGO’ of electronics/robotics world making an excellent tool for STEM Education. With its super-easy patent pending technology, one doesn’t need any wiring, soldering. To begin with, you do not need programming skills. You can connect Cretiles to each other like building blocks and they start to work.
Cretile has an exhaustive set of building blocks. With its 35+ building blocks You can create virtually unlimited combinations. Typically any kit claims a certain number of projects that can be done using it. With Cretile, you can build any number of projects. Your creativity shall decide what Cretile can do for you.
To help you get started, Cretiles has its own YouTube channel where a large number of projects are showcased. As a next step, Cretile also enables you to learn programming very easily. It comes with Arduino® based programmable block called ProLogic. To program this block, it provides an easy to use drag-n-drop programming environment. With it, child can easily learn to code without having to worry about syntax of a programming language.
Cretile projects need not restricted to the boundary of the box. It offers SmartSwitch with which you can control your home appliances too. e.g. If you want to switch ON a table lamp as soon as you enter the room, Cretile Motion sensor and SmartSwitch can do the job for you.
Some of the sample projects are listed below
Automatic Motion sensor based light control
Automatic night lamp using light sensor
Burglar Alarm
Switch ON/OFF appliance automatically after a certain time
Open the door and switch ON the light
Moisture sensor based irrigation system
Programmed irrigation
Operate any appliance e.g. Table Lamp with a TV Remote
Clap and operate an appliance
For college going students, Cretile is an excellent rapid IoT prototyping tool. Cretile is also being integrated to Android Development platforms.
Cretile APIs are integrated with MIT’s App Inventor. With App Inventor you can build Android Apps easily and quickly and control Cretile via these applications.
Summary
Cretile is an excellent STEM education tool that should be in the hands of every child. It offers numerous benefits over traditional making.
With Cretile, you get the following benefits-
Learner gets early results. This keeps the learner highly motivated.
Highly Reusable.
No hazard risk associated with soldering or wiring.
Programming skills are not essential.
Start with fun project and use it all the way for serious engineering projects.
With Cretile, we can Engage students in STEM education early in the cycle. With it, we can align their skills to industry step by step over the course of education.
Cretile addresses needs of all the age groups – the exact same product can be used right from middle-school students all the way up to engineers.
NXP Semiconductors N.V. has been named one of the world’s most impactful Industrial Internet of Things [IIoT] companies based on recent research by IoT ONE. NXP’s core focus for the industrial IoT include – security concepts and anomaly detection to ensure the reliability and safety of connected automation equipment; advanced wired connectivity for deterministic data transport, such as, Time Sensitive Networking [TSN]; edge computing including machine learning; and secure cloud connectivity involving state of the art cyber-security concepts and technology.
From end-node to the cloud, NXP provides an unrivaled portfolio for supporting the incredible growth of smart, connected solutions for the IIoT – including microcontrollers, microprocessors, connectivity, analog, sensors and RF technologies. It is an honor to recognize NXP as one of the top companies influencing and driving growth in the Industrial IoT.
In addition to ranking-4 on the IoT ONE 500 Top Industrial IoT Index, NXP announced it’s new Industrial Competency Center. Based in Hamburg, Germany, the center further strengthens its IIoT commitment by providing a comprehensive industrial system program portfolio with research and collaborative programs that will fuel innovation for the connected manufacturing and industrial processes of tomorrow.
Sanjay Gupta, VP & India Country Manager, NXP, said
By driving and enabling leading-edge solutions that will transform industrial companies, NXP is rapidly becoming the partner of choice to help customers tap into their full potential of Industry 4.0.
Christian Wiebus, Head of NXP’s Industrial Competency Center, said
The IoT ONE 500 Index puts a spotlight on NXP’s ongoing dedication to create a smarter, more connected world, and our new Industrial Competency Center will further accelerate automation and connected ecosystems for the smart industry.
The center’s industrial system program incorporates Human Machine Interface [HMI], edge compute solutions for machine learning and artificial intelligence, and other core technologies required for developing robust IIoT product road-maps, including TSN and Industrial Linux enablement. The center’s research and collaborative programs are geared towards building and extending NXP’s industrial partner ecosystem of Original Equipment Manufacturers [OEMs], integrators, consultants, leading cloud and edge partners, research institutes and standard bodies. Also, the center’s programs are designed to fuel NXP’s strong momentum and its ability to support the strategic direction of NXP customers by anticipating and driving the future of the Industrial IoT.
About NXP’s IoT ONE Ranking on the IoT ONE 500 Top Industrial IoT Index
Every year, IoT ONE assesses over 2,000 IIoT solution providers in the IoT ONE ecosystem to create the IoT ONE 500 Index, which aims to identify and showcase the premier companies that are making the greatest impact in the IIoT ecosystem. NXP achieved the premium Industrial IoT Index ranking based on its brand influence, technology innovation, ecosystem openness, and input from industry experts and end users who validated the results generated by IoT ONE. Some of NXP’s top scores were in the categories of processors and boards, transceivers, and sensors and actuators. Click here for more information on the IoT ONE 500 Industrial IoT Index.
Even though IoT is growing at an exceptional speed, developers and makers around the world are unable to match up with their development speed. This is because of the many separate elements required to build a project. You need to aggregate, learn how to integrate from a clutter of resources on the net. Bolt brings you just the right tools to help you build your projects at lightning speed [Source]
BOLT is an Internet of Things platform [Hardware + Cloud] that enables user to build IoT products and projects. Using BOLT, users can control and monitor devices from any part of the world. It provides the ability to embed Wi-Fi/GSM capabilities within other systems, or to function as a standalone application.
The manufacturers can embed the BOLT hardware in their product, develop a custom UI and then their users can control their products using the BOLT IoT app. BOLT works on pay as you go basis, which means the manufacturers have no capital investments to get their products IoT enabled. This lets even small scale players to build IoT enabled products and services. [Source]. Today we have a chat with Pranav Pai Vernekar, Founder & CEO of Inventrom-Bolt IoT about the startup, its products, IoT market landscape, developer ecosystem, etc. So lets get started with the Q&A…
Can you please share how did you come up with the idea of Bolt IoT and some insights into the team behind it ?
Before we got working with Bolt, our team has been strategic IoT consultants for various organizations and MNCs. We have trained more than 5,000 students in the field of IoT. During this time, we felt there was a need for building a truly seamless IoT platform that offers all the basic components in one go. This lead us to build the Bolt IoT Platform. We have been working on Bolt since January 2016 and managed to raise a funding of Rs. 3 crore in the same year.
Please walk us through the idea of Bolt IoT and the various products helpful for the developers ?
Bolt was conceptualized as an integrated IoT platform to immensely accelerate any IoT project or product, helping developers shape their idea into reality in the quickest and most efficient way. Bolt IoT solution currently consists of a Bolt WiFi module and our very own Bolt Cloud platform.
Our Bolt IoT cloud platform seamlessly lets you store data, run analytics or visualize the data for
presentation. It’s also very flexible in a way that, you may directly use the cloud platform or through your own or other compatible APIs. I would say the important feature of our Bolt platform is its capability of auto-sending alerts through Emails or SMS whenever a specified threshold has been reached.
Other noteworthy functions include, a powerful dashboard for device management, an online configuration and a code editor. Developers can use this to quickly prototype IoT use cases, allowing users to connect hardware and visualize their data almost instantly. We are already in the final stages of incorporating advanced data analytics protocols and Machine Learning features natively into our platform. This will help users to run key algorithms for predicting and visualizing trends in the data as well as detect any anomalies proactively.
Can you talk to us about the Kickstarter campaign, the response to it and some of the queries from the backers of the project ?
We successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign in the month of November~December 2017. The response we had far exceeded our expectations as we raised 484% of our targeted goal of USD 10,000 from more than thousand backers. The maximum number of backers came from USA followed by India, Japan, Germany, and UK. Most of the queries were regarding our scalability and the tech behind our product, I can confidently say that all of them eager to get their hands on the platform which we are shipping to the backers from the month of February.
We have now launched the platform for sale on Indiegogo InDemand. Here is the link to the campaign.
What are some of the ideal use-cases where the solution from Bolt IoT would be useful [or the ideal sectors where it could be used by devs/SMEs] ?
Bolt is ideal for anything that requires active data monitoring in real-time. Lot of makers use it to build some cool home automation projects such as Trash Can that send alerts when it is full, Voice activated lighting using Bolt with Alexa, Plant Monitoring system for Smart Garden etc.
Here is a link to the list of projects that have been built using Bolt. You may find some interesting use-cases for home automation in this YouTube link
There are lot of other exciting projects that have been built using Bolt such as a Crypto Alert System and Internet Controlled Robot. A couple of developers even built The Weasleys’ Clock from Harry Potter using Bolt IoT. This clock tells you the location of the family members instead
of the time.
When it comes to enterprise projects, a common Industrial use case of Bolt is for Temperature & Humidity monitoring purposes. One of our early use cases was when Bolt was used by a Tobacco MNC to monitor their curing process. Many Pharmaceutical Industries now use Bolt extensively to monitor the temperature in their storage and manufacturing areas.
There are loT of hobbyist/novice programmers that are interested to work on IoT and they already have hardwares like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc. Can you explain how seamless is it to interface modules from Bolt IoT to these open hardware(s) ?
We designed Bolt to be as universally compatible as possible, and so, certainly it can seamlessly integrate with all these open source hardwares over UART protocol. Arduino especially has been the most popularly used hardware amongst Bolt users, as it instantly enables cloud and IoT functions when it is interfaced with Bolt. We created a library to make interfacing very easy, enabling the boards to have active internet and cloud connectivity in just under a few minutes.
Can you please explain us about Bolt Cloud, its Pricing Plan and whether it can be used in co-ordinance with other existing Cloud Services [AWS, Azure, etc.] ?
Bolt was envisioned for the masses, to bring IoT tech accessible to everyone. In accordance with that vision, we made Bolt Cloud our main USP. Our cloud solution does more than just store data, it can actually analyse it through various Machine Learning Algorithms, and Visualization programs.
Our Bolt Cloud can be used a standalone cloud service solution or be seamlessly integrated with other existing Cloud service providers like AWS, Azure, Google, IBM etc. through Bolt APIs.
Currently, we are providing Blot Cloud access ‘free for life’ to all our crowdfunding supporters. Means, all the developers and users of Bolt who contributed to our Kickstarter campaign or the currently active Indiegogo campaign will have unlimited access for life to our cloud platform. It is our way of showing our gratitude and rewarding the trust they have on our IoT solution. There will be a nominal usage charge for all others post the crowd sourcing campaign and a reasonable usage fee enterprise clients using our solution for commercial application.
Bolt IOT Team
What are the different pricing plans of Bolt IoT for Developers, SME’s or big businesses ?
We have various options available for developers and SMEs, as we want our users to have control over their purchase. They have a wide range of options to choose according to their budget and opt for the most ideal plan to meet their requirements. You can browse through our strategically priced plans here.
Can solutions from Bolt IoT be used for use-cases related to IIoT, if so can you please list down some examples where it is already deployed in a large scale setup [Farm, manufacturing unit, etc.] ?
Yes, of course. Currently, Bolt’s primary IIOT clients are from the Pharma Manufacturing sector. This year, we have launched the Bolt Temperature and Humidity Monitor [BTHM], a compact smart device which auto-logs temperature and humidity.
This data can be monitored over cloud and it can even send alerts via SMS or Email should the readings cross over a preset threshold. Needless to say, the Pharma and Medical industry as a whole is need of these smart solutions to drastically minimize losses due to quality issues of their products such as vaccines, blood, medicines, dry rooms etc.
How can developers of Bolt IoT platform leverage the use of ML, AI in their applications ?
Building something from scratch or bringing an idea to reality is a challenging process, not to mention time consuming and capital intensive. Bolt however, helps this process by intelligently collate data for developers over cloud and analyze it. It offers unparalleled flexibility by allowing users to run their own custom ML algorithms from their own cloud platform or use others like Amazon Machine Learning/Microsoft Cortana ML and IBM BlueMix.
Additionally, for use cases such as trend prediction using polynomial regression, there is native support coming soon to the Bolt cloud as a feature. You can read about how to use a third party setup for anomaly detection here and a detailed account of the polynomial regression feature here
There are many other/more or less similar IoT platforms targeting similar market segment, what are some of the core USP’s of your platform ?
I would say the core USP of Bolt IoT platform lies in its ease of use, whether they are beginners or professionals. Another key point of our platform is that its highly scalable and has been fine tuned multiple times since its inception through user feedbacks.
The core foundation of the Bolt IoT platform is its ease of use for developers and makers, whether beginners or professionals. The biggest advantage of using our platform is the Bolt Cloud which has been designed with scalability in mind and fine-tuned after multiple iterations and feedback from makers and developers.
The top five reasons our users have expressed their commendations are:
Its fast interfacing speed, as it only takes 20 minutes from hardware connection to visualizing data on the cloud platform.
Its compatibility and ability to collect, store, visualize and analyze IoT sensory data as well as alerting any deviations instantly through SMS or Email.
Its future ready, as its already has an native Machine Learning features to analyze data and even allowing users to connect their own ML algorithms on third party cloud servers should they wish.
Its highly customizable as users have full control on the configuration of their device as to how they want to connect, on data visualization, etc.
Its very scalable, as Bolt is capable of deploying the code to thousands of Bolt powered IoT devices and applications with a single click.
Power is an integral part of any Embedded System, can you share some details on the power figures of your platform and how does it compete vis-a-vis other platforms [offering similar functionalities] ?
Sure, the Bolt WiFi module can be powered using a 5v 300mA supply which typically available via a USB port. Hardware wise, the Bolt WiFi module is an ESP8266 along with some additional components. As such it’s power requirements are similar to a typical ESP8266 device.
What kind of coding skills are required in order to build solutions using the Bolt IoT platform and can it be used by someone who does not have coding experience ?
There are no prerequisite knowledge required for using Bolt. It’s quite easy to use as you can already launch systems to monitor data with just a GUI based dashboard. And, if you have knowledge of software programming such as Python, you can build a more advanced system
and develop complex solutions with Bolt.
We have tutorials to show how someone can use a graphical flow-based model using IBM NodeRED for projects with the Bolt.
Can you talk about the Security aspects of the modules in Bolt IoT since security in IoT security is very critical as it involves lot of data ?
Security is indeed a very critical aspect of IoT and at Bolt, we have implemented several measures in both hardware and software to ensure our users and data are protected at all times. Our Bolt Cloud already uses state-of-the-art encryption while communicating with the Bolt Wi-Fi module to prevent data from being snooped on by malicious external agents.
In specific, the Bolt Wi-Fi module’s firmware includes various verification mechanisms to authenticate the user and to ensure the module cannot be re-linked to another user unless explicitly shared via the Bolt Cloud. Our Bolt Software and Hardware stacks are also audited by third-party security audit firms for vulnerability assessment. In addition, we possess patching capabilities to securely update the Bolt device over-the-air even if something unthinkable happens.
How can executives at industrial companies exploit the revenue-generating opportunities of the IoT/ IIoT ?
IoT is rapidly changing the business models by letting the organizations charge the end users for the service rather than the product. A few days back I came across a company that offers water purifiers by charging the users Rs.1 per liter of water rather than the one time charge of Rs. 15,000/- per unit. They take care of the regular servicing of the product at no additional cost.
This means that they have moved from the business of selling purifiers to the business of selling water. This is possible due to IoT as the sensors embedded in the water purifiers send the data about the water consumption over the cloud for the company to bill the customer. Its an ingenious way to generate revenue as consumption rate will only grow while production rate may decline in future. It certainly makes sense to switch to service rather than product in the future.
How important is a requirement for Open architecture, shared platforms, etc. for the growth of the entire IoT/IIoT eco-system ?
The most important factor which facilitates growth in the IoT and even IIoT ecosystem is the community which adopts the relevant platform/communication protocol/framework or standard.
Locking developers in is no longer an option as it stifles creativity and robustness of solutions. In keeping with that philosophy, we have opened up APIs for people to interact with the Bolt Cloud and develop their custom solutions for controlling the Bolt Wi-Fi module as well as using the data gathered. This allows developers to use popular third-party frameworks from IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft to process their data and even write custom applications in any language which supports RESTful APIs including Python, C++, Java, JavaScript. However, we also do believe in ease of development and hence do provide several features like device management, extensive visualization with graphs, and device configuration natively in the Bolt Cloud dashboard.
Additionally, the schematic and layout of the Bolt Wi-Fi module will also soon be made open to allow developers to easily work on custom solutions incorporating the Bolt.
Can you share some tips for building an effective team for startups [especially the initial core team] ?
There is a famous quote for startup hiring,’Hire the best no matter what.’ While this may seem obvious, practicing it is quite tough. We at Bolt IoT have struggled in the past with good hiring, and have learnt from our mistake.
For a good initial team, I suggest you hire via reference, as its a practice that’s been successful at Bolt. Also, in case the hire turns out to be bad, don’t to hesitate to ask the person to resign. It is a tough task, but by letting a non performer be in the company, you are being unfair to the other team members. In addition to some of the point advice on startup hiring, I suggest you read Cut the Crap and Jargon by Shradha Sharma & T.N. Hari. It lists some excellent tips for building a great team.
Hardware [be it IoT, Biometrics, etc.] is a very difficult nut to crack [especially from funding and hiring per-se], what are your perspectives on the same ?
Building a Hardware startup is indeed tougher than building a software startup as it involves aspects of inventory, logistics etc. This means that raising funds too is difficult. I believe that the investors are right in this regard as the possibility of success of hardware startups is less.
Yes, if you are solving a real big enough problem and have a right team in place then you can surely achieve success.
As per your entrepreneurial experience, when should an entrepreneur look out for external funding ?
I believe that once you have the MVP ready and a bit of initial traction, it is a good time to look for funding. As this will be a crucial time for your product and external funding will help you focus on the product rather than administration.
Some books that you highly recommend for entrepreneurs ?
Some of my top choices would be ‘Zero to One’ by Peter Thiel, ‘Pour your heart into it’ by Howard Schultz and ‘Cut the Crap and Jargon’ by Shradha Sharma & T.N. Hari
Some closing thoughts for our readers!
I believe success comes only through perseverance and persistence. Everyone can achieve what they set out to do if they soldier on while constantly improving their knowledge and skills. A new age of internet [IoT] is blooming and is open for all. Let’s be the forerunners and reap the rewards!
We thank Pranav for sharing her insights with our readers and walking us through his journey. If you have any questions for him, please share them via a comment to this article.
The automotive industry has moved towards digitalization and connected mobility, resulting in a significant rise in the use of electronics and technology in vehicles. Vehicle-to-Everything [V2X] is one such technology which is still a nascent market that has managed to offer a wide range of everyday convenience benefits. Today, it has grown to be a critical component in providing vehicles with the ability to communicate with each other and beyond. In fact, the automotive V2X communication market is expected to reach a staggering $26.72 billion by 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research.
Interestingly, some of the key reasons why OEMs today are forced to incorporate V2X communication systems into vehicles are due to the several benefits that the systems provide in terms of advanced route guidance systems, roadway efficiency, driver convenience and traffic optimization. Allowing vehicles to ‘talk’ to each other, V2X systems are geared towards safety and are essential for hundreds of thousands of self-driving cars to operate safely.
Sasken understands the importance of disruption to address the need for autonomous driving. They have achieved a breakthrough in this area and are engaged with a Tier-1 OEM and provide services for the V2X platform to enable actionable insights in the connected automobile. Today, we have a Q&A session with Ashwin Ramachandra, VP and Head – Product Engineering Services, Sasken Technologies, on how players in the automotive industry are re-defining the electronics segment through the advent of advanced communication technologies like Vehicle-to-Everything [V2X]. So, let’s get started with the Q&A…
Can you please talk about yourself, your experience so far with Sasken Technologies ?
I have more than 20 years of experience and am currently the head of the Embedded Practice at Sasken Technologies Pvt. Limited. The Embedded Practice group consists of the following divisions:
Semiconductors and Platform devices
Industrials
Automotive
Digital [Cloud and Analytics]
When it comes to the automotive domain, the amount of software & intelligence in the car is increasing day by day and that intelligence executes on the chips that are manufactured by the semiconductor companies. In order to appreciate what Sasken is doing in the automotive segment, it is very important to deep dive into what Sasken does in the semiconductors segment. The amount of software and intelligence in the car has increased in three different areas:
Software on the cockpit [In-cockpit entertainment]
Autonomous Driving
Telematics
The rise has been majorly seen in the last five years. Silicon vendors are bringing out chipsets that are much more powerful so that customers can enjoy a richer audio experience and exceptional performance for these offerings. Sasken starts working with the semiconductor vendors through the Development and Testing phase. Companies like Qualcomm have chipsets like MSM820 that are meant for richer infotainment experience. On a similar line, there are silicon vendors that are working on powerful chipsets for the autonomous driving sector and in future, we would see many more companies bringing out much richer solutions for that segment.
Telematics would be typically seen in the form of communication modems. In the western world, you would have an LTE Modem connected to the car for a whole bunch of communication. These are the three major areas where semiconductor companies and Sasken are co-working together to revolutionize the overall automotive industry.
Please comment on the rise of the infotainment options in car and where do you see Android in the automotive segment ?
Many years back, we only had the option of FM Radio, which gradually moved to CD Player, and now you have a plethora of playback options on the touchscreen located on the dashboard of your car which provides a whole new world of entertainment. Previously, these systems were based on Vanilla Linux, but now Android is playing a vital role even in the automotive sector. As we all know, Android already has a huge market share in the mobile space and now its share in the auto segment is gradually increasing.
By the year 2020, we expect that Android would be present on more than forty percent of mid-range and high-end cars, which means that Android is at a huge inflection point in the auto segment. Sasken has extensive experience in Android and our team of engineers has been working on Android since the first public release of Android. This experience gives us a huge edge over our competitors since when companies need expertise on Android for the car segment; they need someone like us who have gone through the complete development cycle. The mobile expertise and experience in bringing products to the market would definitely help us in achieving an edge in the auto segment!
Based on the queries and projects that Sasken has been approached for in the auto segment, we believe that Android is very much in line to be the default operating system for cars. This would bring in a major change in the infotainment space for automobiles.
Can you walk us through some of the technical challenges for porting Android on the automotive platform ?
The use-cases that you see on the phone are quite different from the use-cases that you see in the car. For example, you would never plug a music player like an iPod to your phone, but that is a very natural use-case when it comes to a car. You expect that the device and its type is recognized when it is plugged into the dashboard and it should also start the playback. This means that there are a lot of changes that are required to the Android stack in order to accompany such use-cases. From the UI and UX point of view, a lot more changes are required. Also, unlike India, users in the western countries use a lot more voice commands, and those commands vary when used on car vis-a-vis mobile.
You need to have a good amount of Android expertise in order to realize such use-cases and though Androidauto would evolve over a period of time. Expertise does come in very handy since time-to-market is very critical for any product. Also, the time-to-market for an automobile is typically 18~24 months, which in itself speaks for the complexity.
What are some of the cost implications for the car manufacturers in order to realize V2V/V2X/V2I use-cases ?
As far as Android for auto is concerned, it would take a fair amount of time to make its way into the entry-level automobile segment. Just take a case where you do not use Android, even in such a scenario, you need to have the silicon, an in-house R&D team, an operating system like Linux, middleware, etc. i.e. You need a significant number of engineers, hence a good amount of R&D cost is involved. Also, as mentioned earlier the number of features in the car always keeps on increasing. Hence, if you need to have your own in-house infotainment system [in absence of Android], the R&D cost itself would look similar or even lesser with a platform like Android.
Whether it is V2V, V2X, V2I, there is a lot of data that would be used to ensure that the objective is met. How secure are these protocols and how do two vehicles from different manufacturers talk to each other ensuring that there is no breach of important data ?
In case of V2V and V2I scenarios, the information is almost anonymous. For example, if a car is driving ahead of another vehicle [on a freeway], either of the vehicles can transmit information that is generic in nature and is useful for both the parties. It could transmit road-related data, climatic data, etc. There is no personal or confidential information exchanged between the two of them.
The information is completely momentary and the moment you get off the freeway, the information is gone. This data is non-threating in nature and hence, we need not worry when such data is sent over V2V/V2I channels. Also, in order to ensure that the necessary security protocols have adhered, the exchanged data goes through an approved/certified channel and it is almost impossible to fake the information. There has been a significant amount of effort that is spent to ensure that the information [irrespective of its nature] is tamper-proof and all the necessary security measures are taken.
The second part is about ‘Telematics’ i.e. the information that is shared between your car and the cloud infrastructure. This exchange has nothing to do with the co-operative network, but it is more about the route that it takes for transmission of the data. You can poll a lot of peripherals on the car to get data about the health of the car, battery, fuel, etc. This data is completely owned by the car owner but sometimes by accident, you agree to share this information in which case, this data can be used by third-party companies for targeted advertising. For example, in the current scenario, there are many cases where a particular company does not charge the consumer to use their services but instead use their data to push some relevant advertisements, coupons, etc. As a matter of fact, the millennial generation is willing to share such information in lieu of product discounts [only after providing consent].
Can you comment on some of the B2B as well as B2C use cases for the V2V/V2I/V2X technologies ?
Ride-hailing companies are already leveraging these technologies, especially the V2V and V2I to ensure that their vehicle’s health is in-tact so that the riders can enjoy a smooth ride.. They are using onboard telematics to get the necessary information. This also includes details about the driver’s characteristics, which are provided after consent by the car driver e.g. average speed at which the driver drives the car, how many times he over-speeds, angle at which he takes turns, how many times he jumps signals, etc.
This information can be used by all the necessary parties involved in the journey i.e. the car driver to improve his driving skills and average customer ratings. It can be used by the ride-hailing company to ensure that they have the best drivers on-board thereby providing a superior customer experience and it gives an additional parameter to the customer on basis on which they can rate their journey. This is currently under testing by a couple of ride-hailing companies for their premium car segment.
How wireless communications and WLAN technology have evolved over the years to be well-suited for V2X communication, due to its low latency and the ability to communicate instantly. Can you also touch upon DSRC [Dedicated Short Range Communication] ?
This is one of the points that we have discussed earlier about the co-operative network. There are a couple of emerging technologies like DSRC and Cellular V2X [CV2X] and each of them has its pros & cons. As per our understanding, the CV2X is much better-designed technology and has better technology roadmap. DSRC is loosely based on the WLAN/WiFi technology and the base standards remain the same. On the other hand, CV2X is based on the Cellular LTE technology. The US government is gearing towards usage of DSRC for V2V/V2X use cases and with wider adoption, the governments across the world would mandate what technology should be used further down the line.
As expected, both these technologies have very low latency due to nature of the use cases associated with the vehicle. This is the overall landscape of the Intelligent Transport System [ITS], both from the technical and non-technical perspective. As an organization, we are working on both these technologies and are gearing up for testing with some of our automobile clients.
Please walk us through the opportunities in the autonomous driving segment and what are some of the tech and regulatory hurdles being faced by this sector ?
The single most important requirement of this sector is that the information should be kept safe & secure. In the future, governments would also mandate a certain amount of certification and testing to ensure that there is no compromise on quality. Apart from these, standards would evolve as it autonomous driving becomes mainstream.
Technology is evolving at a very rapid pace, where do see the automobile technology 5~10 years down the line and the role that technology would play to make that dream a reality ?
As far as the automobile sector is concerned, the internal combustion engines occupy 99% of the market share, whereas electric engines have a fairly minuscule market share. However, things would take a drastic turn as we move forward. The trend is likely to change as electric engines would play a much larger role in the overall automobile ecosystem.
Sasken, as an embedded company,is looking at this area very closely but our main focus areas are in the ares of In-car infotainment, Autonomous driving and Telematics. These three pillars would change the entire automobile landscape. Some of the use cases in autonomous and assisted driving might not be directly applicable to a country like India due to the nature of traffic, road conditions, etc. but over a period of time, the entire ecosystem in India would also evolve and we would observe wider adoption.
We thank Mr. Ashwin Ramachandra for sharing his insights with our readers. If you have any questions for Ashwin about autonomous driving, opportunities in V2X/V2V/V2I, etc. please email them here or share them via a comment to this article.
India Electronics and Semiconductor Association [IESA], the premier trade body along with Electronics Sector Skills Council India[ESSCI] get together to roll out IESA Innovation Initiative [I3 Program] – a hands-on electronics engineering pedagogy program leveraging Industry CSR and targeting 100,000 engineering students per year in 5 years. This was done alongside first edition of TechTronics 2017 – an IESA event focused on emerging technologies, opportunities and innovation in the electronics industry.
IESA and ESSCI are putting together a visionary, transformational education engine to enable the start-up and innovation ecosystem in the country. This initiative is implemented by IESA Talent CIG via National ESDM Technology Research Academy [NETRA].The vision of NETRA & ESSCI is to Transform Engineering campuses into ESDM Product Innovation Centers [EPIC] through Industry Partnerships.
The program is a reality on ground with proven success model at KLE Tech University, Hubli – where the ideation energy created by the hands-on teaching program touches 400 students/ semester – and has resulted in incubating 38 startups in first 4 years with 9 startups in acceleration stage. Of these 2 startups have crossed a valuation of 100 crores and employ over 1000 persons!
The learning presented to Ministry of Electronics and IT in August has resulted in the program getting a wider visibility – and is being rolled out with due process, in 6 select Universities in North. These shortlisted Universities include Amity University, AKG Engineering College, Bennet University, BM Munjal University, Chitkara University and Manav Rachna Engineering Universtity.
With the select current 6 universities, the initiative is touching over 1500 students in North. By end 2018, NETRA plans to expand to 20 universities with approx. 4000 students by end of 2018.
Ashwini K Aggarwal, Chairman, India Electronics & Semiconductors Association, said
By end of 2022, the program will cover over 100,000 students per annum, creating a huge ideation energy with far reaching impact in the electronics start-up ecosystem. I wish to congratulate the first batch of shortlisted universities –on their successful completion of the pre-launch faculty trainings and are happy to announce initiating support for their incubator/ideation labs.
Adding to this, Dr. Sandeep Garg, President, India Electronics & Semiconductors Association said
IESA & ESSCI has worked together with the Central Government to shortlist the academic partners, do a capability gap analysis and completed a comprehensive cross-stream train-the-trainer workshop for shortlisted 6 institutes. NETRA is creating a talent pool along with the support of other universities to make the students industry ready, by making them learn the skills and technology for future ESDM industry.
N K Mohapatra, CEO, ESSCI commenting on the partnership said
In order to enable the startup and innovation ecosystem in the country, ESSCI has joined hands with IESA to build – and scale – a visionary, transformational hands-on electronics engineering engine for India. India has a flourishing future in the electronics space and global players have started recognizing this as an opportunity for strengthening their footprints in India. With IESA-NETRA as an implementation partner, we want to focus on the aspiring youth, by primarily engaging with universities across India and make students industry ready.
About IESA
IESA is the premier trade body representing the Indian Electronics System Design and Manufacturing [ESDM] industry and has represented it since 2005. It has over 260 members – both domestic and multinational enterprises. IESA is committed towards building global awareness for the Indian ESDM industry and supporting its growth through focused initiatives in developing the ecosystem. To know more, please visit IESA
NI, the provider of systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, today successfully hosted the 14th edition of NIDays – an annual conference on graphical system design – in Bangalore. The event was attended by over 700 engineers, scientists, and experts from Industry and Academia who discussed the trends, opportunities and challenges that will enable the future technology to grow faster.
At the seminar, NI India discussed the next generation of LabVIEW software, LabVIEW NXG 1.0, that gets faster engineering insights with instant hardware discovery, integrated data analysis, and interactive data exploration tools. The attendees got to experience LabVIEW NXG 1.0 and LabVIEW 2017 with experts from Applications Engineering and NI RnD. NIDays offered 22 technical & academic track sessions and tutorials along with a wide range of products and application demonstrations.
Speakers and exhibitors from automated test domain joined the event. The diverse set of panelists shared their experiences and best practices in the areas of processes, management and technology that address the challenges and opportunities for future systems.
Addressing the media at the event, Jayaram Pillai, Managing Director – IndRAA, National Instruments, said
Over the years, we have partnered with local and global experts in our Alliance program, constantly striving to innovate and evolve with every challenge and opportunity that comes our way. With technology growing sooner that predicted, it is inspiring to see all the future ready innovation and products at this year’s NIDays. It gives me immense pride to witness the passion and determination from the engineering community and I look forward to see what’s next.
Commenting on the success of the event, Shelley Gretlein, NI Vice President of Corporate Marketing, National Instruments, said
As we are racing through the 21st century, where technological progression is faster than ever before, the demand for faster and smarter applications is essential. We help our customers to keep up with the pace by providing industry trends impacting the industry along with actionable insights. Our open, software-centric platform aids in developing cutting-edge innovative solutions in areas such as machine learning applications, wireless technology, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and transportation. Now we can truly be prepared for our future.
Presented at NIDays, NI’s Trend Watch 2018 examined the technological advances propelling towards a future faster than ever before along with some of the biggest challenges engineers face looking ahead to 2018. Five key topics were explored –
Machine Learning – Explores the development of Intelligent nodes across manufacturing machines, test systems, and industrial assets that will provide the data needed to build better products and make better operational decisions
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) – Predicts that Industries will have to adopt to IIoT to maximize uptime, optimize performance, and drive product and process innovation.
5G – Signifies a generational transformation that will provide untethered experience with much faster data, shorter network response times (lower latency), instant access anywhere and everywhere, and the capacity for billions of devices.
Vehicles Electrification – Discusses the reliance on power electronics and electric motor drives that adds complexity to control systems.
Breaking Moore’s Law – Industries will demonstrate each scaling challenge with an innovation in alternative architectures seemingly ending processing advancements
The new range of products presented at the event includes LabVIEW NXG 1.0, bridging the gap between configuration-based software and custom programming languages, Vehicle Radar Test System [VRTS] delivering object simulation and radar measurement capabilities for engineers testing autonomous driving technology, and ATE Core Configurations which supply core mechanical, power and safety infrastructure to help users accelerate the design and build of automated test systems in industries ranging from semiconductor and consumer electronics to aerospace and automotive.
National Instruments is hosting NIDays Conference and Exhibition, the ultimate learning experience that unites the brightest minds in engineering and science. This year, NIDays India will take place at ITC Gardenia on 26th October 2017.
At NIDays, scientists and engineers will learn about the latest technology to accelerate productivity for software defined systems in test, measurement and control, in a full day of interactive, technical and networking sessions from industry leaders and NI experts.
Hosted by National Instruments, NIDays is an event ideal for engineers, scientists and academicians, supplying the tools and knowledge to develop applications faster and smarter. This years Thought Leadership Keynotes aim to inspire, giving those in attendance a glimpse at the latest, cutting-edge innovations that demonstrate how engineers and scientists use NI technology to change and improve the world we live in.
The morning keynote Impacting Today’s Business, demonstrates how the NI platform is accelerating innovation in applications ranging from transportation safety, wireless communication, automated test and the IIoT. In the afternoon, see how NI continues the LabVIEW legacy with the evolution of the world’s most productive and efficient engineering software, in the keynote A Glimpse into The Future.
Attendees can tailor the event to their specific industry, application or interest and can choose from a vast array of Targeted Application Area Tracks including IIoT, Test & Measurement, Automotive, Academics and Software advancements. Test engineers and managers can take advantage of unique opportunity in form of a test leadership panel which will have leaders in test and measurement come and share their experiences and best practices for improving the impact of test.
National Instruments (NI), the provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges has announced the WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 with support for Draft 1.1 of the IEEE 802.11ax standard.
Combined with NI’s second-generation Vector Signal Transceiver [VST], the WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 supports 802.11ax waveform generation and analysis for characterization, validation and production test of products, such as RF front end components, wireless modules and user devices, that implement Draft 1.1 of the IEEE 802.11ax standard.
The WLANTestToolkit17.0 empowers designers and engineers with the ability to generate and analyze a wide range of 802.11ax standard-compliant wave-forms, including extended single user, multi-user OFDMA and multi-user Multiple Input, Multiple Output [MIMO] with per-user configuration and measurement results. The toolkit helps users solve demanding new access point test cases by generating signals that simulate multi-user environments, including per-user impairments. Engineers can also use the new software to generate trigger frames to test the real-time response of client devices and make power pre-correction and relative center frequency measurements.
As the standardization and evolution of 802.11ax continues, engineers require a software-centric test approach that can keep pace with the latest standard features and challenging new test cases. Taking advantage of NI’s modular platform and second-generation VST can help users lower their cost of test and reduce time to market.
With the WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 and second-generation VST, engineers can configure up to 8*8 MIMO systems in a single PXI chassis. Users can also expect EVM measurements better than -50 dB, leading to rigorous device characterization and reliable test results. Furthermore, engineers can control their systems with the toolkit’s generation and analysis soft-front panels, and benefit from extensive LabVIEW, C and .NET system design software APIs and example code when programming and automating their systems.
The WLAN Test Toolkit 17.0 expands NI’s wide-ranging product portfolio for testing 802.11a/b/g/j/n/p/ac/ax, Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, 4G, FM/RDS, GNSS and low-power Internet of Things (IoT) wireless standards. NI’s platform-based approach helps ensure that users can update their existing PXI RF test systems to support 802.11ax device testing with a simple software update, and continue to do so as the 802.11ax standardization process evolves. Engineers can take advantage of this smarter approach to RF test to help lower their cost of test and better prepare for future connectivity and cellular standardization initiatives, such as 5G.
