The age of the smart passenger will see driverless cars, transparent interactive planes and smart boats that will transport people around the world while working on V2V real-time data.
John Bates, CMO at Software AG said: "Combined with data from smart cities, the sheer volume of data generated by sensored roads, cars and even planes and trains would create a computational explosion of data complexity relative to moving objects, weather conditions and other currently unforeseeable scenarios.
"If this complexity were to be conquered with apps that harness the rich, real-time data, in the future, it could be possible to manage traffic jams in smart cities, allow haulage and cargo companies to proactively manage logistics and predict maintenance."
CBR put together a list of five smart vehicles already on the road or about to hit the market.
1. Mobileye
Mobileye will make the first truly mainstream autonomous vehicles available in 2016. The company is working on solutions to be installed into smart cars that can read traffic and street signs, help cars automatically keep their distance from other vehicles and full autonomous hand free driving experience in motorways.
The multibillion dollar Israeli enterprise has been in the automotive space for some years now and in 2013 it raised $400 million to back its development of semi-autonomous driving technology in partnership with automakers including General Motors, BMW, and Volvo.
Mobileye said it wants to develop these technologies keeping the price down to consumers and far away from Google’s self-driving cars.
2. Airbus
Airplanes already are intelligent, and several companies are installing more sensors into them to extract data in real time preventing and cautioning any eventual emergencies. Airbus is at the forefront of the race, and in March patented the smart aircraft window. The device is a transparent screen that will replace planes’ windows and create a new interactive experience.
Passengers can interact with the IoT window while the aircraft is flying above tourist attractions. For example, if the plane is crossing ways with the Big Ben, users can simply tap the window to get all the information available since Ben’s first day and possibly a set of movies in which it features.
The US Patent describes the new window as a "method for interactive visualisation of information in an aircraft cabin".
3. Jet Capsule
A smart yacht that can be converted into a floating disco, a dining room or even a military patrol vehicle. The Jet Capsule has many customisations possible at a cost of £126,000 to £214,000.
The capsule measures 7.5 meters long by 3.5 meters wide, and is made from 70% carbon using vacuum-infusion moulding and has photochromic windows, which change their transparency in response to light intensity.
The vehicle has between 315 and 740 horsepower depending on the hydro jet propulsion system selected by a would-be owner, with a top speed of 40mph.
4. London smart tube
Rolling out from 2022 onwards, TFL will be deploying into the capital’s 19th century tube system hundreds of driverless tube carriages. V2V communication will be in place to avoid trains from colliding.
Similarly to what already happens in Paris, Rome, Sao Paulo or Shangai, the trains will run autonomously without the need for a human in the driving cabin. The Piccadilly Line will be the first to receive the new vehicles also to be rolled out across the Central, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines.
The trains will feature sensors to track any obstacles on the track, that will also connect with signalling systems deployed across the network, CCTV and onboard telemetry, and automatic detection systems. The new 250 trains have been designed by London’s Priestman Goode.
5. Martin Jetpack
Commercial travel using a jetpack was a futuristic vision, but not anymore. The first flying package could hit the consumer market soon as Martin Aircraft successfully developed an intelligent jetpack that can fly up to 5,000 ft.
The company spent £5.2 million to develop the Martin Jetpack, and it is now looking into funding to start mass production at a retail cost of £50,000 per unit. The vehicle has a 2.0 litre engine, 200 horsepower and a max 6,000 rpm. It can reach max speeds of 74 Km/h and includes a "Fly by wire" computer system.
The company attended the 51st International Paris Air Show where it secured an agreement with Beijing Flying Man Science & Technology. The deal involves the parties working towards the future delivery of a Martin Aircraft package with an initial tranche of 100 manned Jetpacks, 50 unmanned Jetpacks, 25 static models and 25 simulators. The firm also signed an alliance agreement with Czech Republic-based Martin Aircraft Company s.r.o. to establish a European sales centre for the Martin Jetpack.
