Volvo, reigning royalty of safety
Volvo is known for their ingenuity and safety and their latest connected car technology is no exception. Volvo’s Director of Connected Products and Services, David Holecek, recently discussed the new line at the IoT’s Europe World Conference 2016 wherein he touched on just a few of the amazing new car innovations Volvo has been focusing on. The central pivot point for these new features is the “digital key.”
What is this digital key?
The digital key allows you to access and share your Volvo by enabling you to use your phone (or smartwatch) as a key. This digital key will allow you to open and start the car with your phone, share your key with friends and family, and access car sharing services wherever you are in the world all through the cloud.
Volvo is also currently testing a Bluetooth-based technology in Sweden, planning to become the world’s first car manufacturer to offer car sharing to customers in a limited-edition car, in 2017 (which has since sold out). Volvo has also pioneered the first Bluetooth-based technology to allow Volvo owners to take delivery of items they order online directly to their car, no matter where that car is located and regardless of whether or not the owner is with the car, all through digital key technology.
For example, let’s say you’re at work and remember you need a gift for a friend’s birthday party. You could go online, order the item (from participating providers), enable digital key access, and have the item delivered to your car. Once the item is delivered to your trunk, the digital key expires and the company from which you ordered would no longer have access to your vehicle.
While only available in Sweden currently, this technology has the potential to be a complete game changer, not only for the automotive industry, but for the digital shopping experience on the whole. Provided they expand a bit more on how and when the keys expire and how you can protect yourself from digital key theft since it’s in the cloud.
More than the digital key – also about safety
The new features aren’t just about sharing the car; they are also about innovating convenience and safety. Your car can also exchange data through the cloud so your car will know when a service appointment is needed and can even book itself an appointment at your Volvo dealership.
You can enable the digital key to give service technicians entry without handing over your physical key, which is awesome if you’re in a hurry. You can drive in and leave it, and through the digital technology, they’ll already know who you are and what you need.
Volvo takes safety up a notch with the On Call app which gives you remote access and control over your car through your smartphone, tablet, or wearable device, meaning you’ll never lock yourself out of your car again. With On Call, you can locate your car, send directions, lock or unlock doors, check the fuel level, pre-heat/cool the cabin, call for assistance, and even use your Volvo as a wifi hotspot.
Volvo has engineered a Slippery Road Alert to detect icy roads as you drive and alert nearby drivers and road maintenance authorities to the danger through the cloud. There’s also a Hazard Light Alert feature, to warn you if another vehicle has their hazard lights on, enabling you to anticipate danger and traffic jams ahead. Volvo’s IntelliSafe Autopilot cars will use this cloud-based information to continually update and adjust to the surrounding conditions.
Is the digital key safe?
Worried about your information? Volvo states that your information will never be used for a service without your permission and all data is stored securely. Since all your data is stored in the cloud, you don’t have to worry about updating or backing up any information – it’s all done for you, automatically.
Volvo doesn’t explicitly state how your data will be stored and secured, so this may need a bit more fleshing out before handing out your digital key. I would assume all data is encrypted and locked away safely, but please read the terms and conditions when you enable this service before you start handing out your digital key.
Volvo’s new features are pretty amazing, but even more so because they could lead other automobile manufacturers to innovate similar features (just as they did with the seatbelt). When data is backed up to the cloud and has the potential to help other drivers on the road, that’s an amazing use of technology and I hope other manufacturers follow Volvo’s lead on this and their other safety features.
#VolvoTech
Jennifer Walpole is a Senior Staff Writer at The American Genius and holds a Master's degree in English from the University of Oklahoma. She is a science fiction fanatic and enjoys writing way more than she should. She dreams of being a screenwriter and seeing her work on the big screen in Hollywood one day.
