The Internet of

Abstract
The Internet of Cars
- Towards the Future of the Connected Car
No doubt you have heard the phrase “Internet of Things” and the new buzzword “IoT” been used more and more these days, but what does that mean in practice?
The Tesla Model S is probably the most well-connected car on the planet at the moment, and in this presentation we will use that vehicle as a case study of some practical usage of IoT concepts and technology that is already being applied to modern automobiles.
How far away are we from a future “Internet of Cars” and what will be the social and privacy impacts of more connected-car scenarios?

Definition: Internet of Things
“The Internet of Things is the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.”
Source: Gartner IT Glossary
http://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/internet-of-things/
Core requirements:
Physical
Identifiable
Connected
Telemetry
Control

The Connected Car – Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S
Source: Tesla Motors http://www.teslamotors.com/models/photo-gallery
IoT requirements:
Physical ?
Identifiable ?
Connected ?
Telemetry ?
Control ?
Note: This is a technology case study, not a car advertisement!
Full Disclosure:
I am proud owner of TSLA stock since 2010 IPO, and Tesla Model S since 2013.

Tesla Model S – Networking & Connectivity
Connectivity
GSM 3G with HSPA+ using the AT&T’s network (and others) and using Sierra Wireless AR8550 (TMC Forum)
The Model-S hardware supports HSPA+, which AT&T considers 4G. A software update may be available in the 2014 time frame to add 4G support. The hardware does not support LTE.
Display – Instrument
12.3″ LCD, 1280 x 480 resolution
NVidia Tegra 2 dual core CPU (Mercury News, 15-May-2013)
Software – Linux, QT and custom Tesla code (PC Word interview)
Display – Primary
17″ LCD, 1080 x 1920 resolution
Nvidia’s Visual Computing Module VCM (Nvidia)
NVidia Tegra 3 quad-core +1 power-saving core (Nvidia blog)
Cypress MultiTouch controller (press release)
Software – Linux, QT and custom Tesla code (PC Word interview)
Source: Tesla Motors

Networked Data Services – New Possibilities
Over-the-Air Software Updates & Patches
Add entirely new functionality to the car
For example: Hill Start Assist
aka: Seattle has longer & steeper hills than Fremont, CA
Make feature updates
For example: improved cold weather range predictions
Fix any bugs in Car OS or Infotainment Apps
Data feed of near real-time traffic conditions
Source: Google Maps
Streaming Internet Radio
Slacker
TuneIn
Real-time GPS location
Transmit vehicle status telemetry

Sensors & Controls: Fly-By-Wire?
Software controlled switches handle all vehicle control functions
Car can detects proximity of key fob, else drive train disabled.
Remote door unlock and extend door handles,
handles auto-present as driver approaches with key fob
if Tech Package is installed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucwo9hnLiU8
Steering, including steering mode setting
Gear selection: P-N-R-D
Braking, including regen-braking
Driving lights & turn signals
HVAC
Door sensors / unlock
[with manual override for emergency use]
Battery compartment temperature & air-flow
Vehicle ride-height at highway speed,
if Air-Suspension options is fitted.
Source: Scientific American
Source: JThelin

Telemetry – Many Different Uses
Vast amounts for real-time status data produced
by each car – rich data mining opportunities.
Various Uses of the Data:
Complete fleet size and usage patterns data.
Analyze usage patterns for design of new features.
Example: Hill Start Assist functionality added in April 2014.
Safety monitoring
Examples: Any crashes detected, even if air-bags did not need deployment.
http://www.gtspirit.com/2013/10/06/tesla-model-s-destroyed-in-the-usa/
Dude, Where’s My Car?
Source: Tesla Motors

Telemetry – Fraud Detection
A Most Peculiar Test Drive
New York Times article by John Broder
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/automobiles
/stalled-on-the-ev-highway.html
Public rebuttal of NYTimes article
with full telemetry data analysis by Tesla Motors
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/most-peculiar-test-drive
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/most-peculiar-test-drive-follow
When Life Gives You Lemons
Milwaukee attorney Vince Megna filed “Lemon Law” case against Tesla Motors claiming defective vehicle.
Tesla released public statement detailing all the remedial steps they had attempted on that vehicle.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/when-life-gives-you-lemons
The key to the rebuttal came from telemetry data:
Another issue was that the car's fuse blew on numerous occasions. Each time, our engineers explored all possible explanations and were never able to find anything wrong with the car. Still, just to be sure, we replaced several parts that could have been related to the alleged problem – all at no expense to the customer. When the fuse kept blowing despite the new parts, and faced with no diagnosis showing anything wrong with the car, the engineers were moved to consider the possibility that the fuse had been tampered with.
After investigating, they determined that the car's front trunk had been opened immediately before the fuse failure on each of these occasions. (The fuse is accessed through the front trunk.)
Ultimately, Tesla service applied non-tamper tape to the fuse switch.
From that point on, the fuse performed flawlessly!
Source: Tesla Motors

A Remote Control Car?
Internet connectivity enables remote monitoring and limited control of the vehicle.
Safety interlocks disable remote control fucntions while car is in motion.
But no RC driving!
Well, at least not yet ... !
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2627
Tesla Model S -- REST API
Vehicle Status
Is mobile access enabled
Charge state
Climate controls state
Driving state and location
GUI settings (preferences)
Vehicle state [Doors open
Vehicle Control Commands
Open charge port door
Set charge mode to standard
Set charge mode to max-range
Set charge limit to X %
Start charge
Stop charge
Flash lights
Honk horn
Lock doors
Unlock doors
Sun roof control [open / close / vent]
Set AC target temperature
Start AC
Stop AC
Unofficial docs:
http://docs.timdorr.apiary.io/
Source: Tesla Motors

Connected Privacy?
Should we be worried about the type and amount of telemetry data our cars will soon start to reveal about details of our lives?
Rhetorical question: Is this any different than the data emitted by your cellphone & other mobile apps?
Even if your car does not tell anyone where it is, your cellphone probably already does through various location-based services.
iBeacon, Bing / Google Maps, Yelp, Facebook, etc
According to Jeff Jonas (IBM Fellow & Chief Scientist for Entity Analytics)
Space-Time Box data from cellphones and other portable gadgets can already be used to fairly accurately identify individual “habitrail” signals.
http://jeffjonas.typepad.com/jeff_jonas/2009/08/your-movements-speak-for-themselves-spacetime-travel-data-is-analytic-superfood.html
Will the benefits of a connected car out-weigh any privacy concerns?
Only you can decide!