Google’s Android Is About To Take Over Your Entire Car–Not Just the Screens

Google is introducing a new version of its Android Automotive open-source operating system for vehicles.
Android Automotive OS for Software Defined Vehicles (AAOS SDV) can directly control vehicle functions, not just the infotainment screen.
The goal is to make it easier for car manufacturers to bypass the multitude of third-party controllers that need to talk to each other.

Google wants to make its vehicle-oriented Android operating system the brain of tomorrow’s cars, not just the force that powers many of today’s infotainment systems.

To make it happen, the American software giant is debuting a new, open-source version of its operating system called Android Automotive OS for Software Defined Vehicles (AAOS SDV). It was specifically designed to allow carmakers to integrate more technology into their upcoming models faster and, more importantly, at a lower cost.

Currently, the Android Automotive OS setup can communicate with different modules throughout the car and then display their state on the car’s central infotainment screen. In this approach, each component uses different programming that is sent to the car’s brain, and then Android Automotive OS gains access to the data.

With Android Automotive for Software Defined Vehicles, Google wants its software to take direct control over non-driving functions, becoming the brain of the vehicle and its components. When fully deployed, AAOS SDV will run everything from seat controls and climate control to lighting and displays, without having to play by third-party components’ rules.

According to Google, this will enable automakers to deliver quicker over-the-air software updates that can target individual vehicle components, not just the infotainment system. Better voice assistants, more proactive vehicle maintenance alerts, personalized driver profiles, and seamless remote cabin conditioning are also part of the…

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