Vehicle Connectivity and Automation: A Sibling Relationship

The evolution of scientific advances has often been characterized by the amalgamation of two or more technologies. With respect to vehicle connectivity and automation, recent literature suggests that these two emerging transportation technologies can and will jointly and profoundly shape the future of transportation. However, it is not certain how the individual and synergistic benefits to be earned from these technologies is related to their prevailing levels of development. As such, it may be considered useful to revisit the primary concepts of automation and connectivity, and to identify any current and expected future synergies between them. Doing this can help generate knowledge that could be used to justify investments related to transportation systems connectivity and automation. In this discussion paper, we attempt to address some of these issues. The paper first reviews the technological concepts of systems automation and systems connectivity, and how they prospectively, from an individual and collective perspective, impact road transportation efficiency and safety. The paper also discusses the separate and common benefits of connectivity and automation, and their possible holistic effects in terms of these benefits where they overlap. The paper suggests that at the current time, the sibling relationship seems to be lopsided: vehicle connectivity has immense potential to enhance vehicle automation. Automation, on the other hand, may not significantly promote vehicle connectivity directly, at least not in the short term but possibly in the long term. The paper argues that future trends regarding market adoption of these two technologies and their relative pace of advancement or regulation, will shape the future synergies between them.

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