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  • Indian Automotive Industry Can Drive Semiconductor Manufacturing In India

    Photo by Amin Khorsand on Unsplash

    India’s automotive industry is the world’s largest two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and tractor manufacturer. It is also the world’s second-largest bus manufacturer, third-largest heavy truck manufacturer, and fourth-largest car manufacturer.

    With the advancement in automotive solutions that will enable sensor-based safe assisted driving, the demand for smart Electronic Component Units (ECUs) will grow for every car, tractors, trucks, buses, and motorcycles that will come out of India’s production unit. Smart semiconductor products have started to change the automotive industry for good.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    With the growing demand for automotive vehicles in India and the ability to export it in different regions, isn’t it time to ensure that the semiconductor products that are drivers of smart capabilities are also manufactured in India?

    The fairly old and well established automotive industry can surely enable semiconductor manufacturing growth given the increasing demand for smart solutions from infotainment to radar to collision avoidance.

    It is being anticipated that in 2030, 80% of the cars driving capability will be based on smart ECUs. Rest 20% will depend on the rules and regulation around level 5 is autonomy.

    AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

    India has set an ambitious goal to move to alternate-fuels for automotive. First step is 100% electric cars only by 2030. This also means increased demand for semiconductor products that make up the smart ECUs to enable efficient driving.

    With each new car having more feature than the last one and all of these features relying on semiconductor solutions, raises the question of how automotive industry can drive semiconductor manufacturing in India.

    A very crucial and vital role will be played by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). India is already home to all of the top automobile manufacturers that are evenly spread across different clusters and states.

    India Will Be The World’s Third-Largest Automobile Manufacturer With A Market Size of $300 Billion By 2026.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Designing of automotive ECUs is actively done in many of the R&D offices by the semiconductor companies in India. However, the majority of these smart solutions are manufactured overseas and then imported by automotive customers back in India.

    If all the activities from design to manufacturing of semiconductor products for the auto industry is done in house in India, then the benefits in terms of employment and business are huge.

    Any advanced car that is manufactured in 2020, has around 100 million lines of software code that has to meet automotive regulation. The established software industry in India can then provide over the top (OTT) solutions that will quadruple the amount of safety features on top of the smart mobility solution provided by the semiconductor solutions.

    LEADERS IN SEMICONDUCTOR AUTOMOTIVE SOLUTIONS

    Currently, the leaders in semiconductor manufacturing for the auto industry are all based in the Americas, EU, or East Asia. India certainly is home to all these semiconductor giants but only from designing and R&D point of view, which in itself is a great advantage.

    The automobile industry’s growing demand for smart semiconductor solutions in India should be an attractive opportunity. Establishing semiconductor manufacturing units in India not only allows semiconductor design companies to have access to the automobile industry but can also enable the growth of other sectors that they are catering to apart from the auto industry in India.

    Having an end-to-end design to manufacturing solutions in India will also help companies innovate faster and enable cost savings without compromising on security and quality.

    Another important factor is India’s open market that already has a talent pool to drive innovation. Many companies already heavily invested in R&D activities that can then quickly be tested using the automotive infrastructure.

    SEMICONDUCTOR AUTOMOTIVE OPPORTUNITIES

    As per Deloitte, the cost contribution of automotive electronics in 2007 was 20% and in 2017 it increases to 40%, and by 2030 it is expected to be 50%. With the way smart mobility is changing the auto industry, it is fair to say that the trend is only going to go up. Alternate fuel will demand more smart semiconductor solutions and many of these are already in use.

    From infotainment to lane assistance, all require ECUs that are not manufactured from start to end in India. This has lead to an increase in the cost of semiconductor components.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    With the increasing use of electronics in automobiles along with exploding automobile industry, India needs to re-think the policies such that they not only cater to the automotive industry but also enable semiconductor manufacturing.

    Having policies that provide more financial and profits based incentives is going to attract foreign direct investment in semiconductor manufacturing much faster than a scheme that only caters to one domain that needs to be started from scratch in India.

    AUTOMOTIVE AND SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COLLABORATION

    India cannot afford to be 100% importer of these electronic semiconductor solutions if it has to be the leader in the automobile industry in the smart mobility world.

    The automotive industry in most cases doesn’t require the lowest semiconductor technology node possible. That can be one take away where semiconductor fabrication can be set up for higher technology nodes, which are cost-effective and affordable given India’s history with semiconductor manufacturing. Apart from automobiles, higher technology node can also cater to other segments like smart devices, smartphones, and smart infrastructures.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    There are already many greenfield electronics manufacturing clusters that are in the region where automotive companies already have manufacturing units. Collaboration between the automotive and semiconductor industry in India needs to be explored to drive semiconductor automotive manufacturing.

    Automotive Electronics Account For 8% of Electronic In India

    The sensor market for automotive itself is going to be worth $5 billion by 2022. This is just one of the many segments that automotive in semiconductor solutions for. Adding AI to semiconductor solutions for smart mobility is going to increase the market demand tenfold. Having all such solutions in the house is critical for long term financial and innovation growth.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Designing of advanced automotive semiconductor chips already happens in India. The only hurdle is manufacturing and testing at large scale. The government of India is already looking to expand the local manufacturing of automobile equipment and it is about time to enable the same for semiconductor manufacturing from automobile use.

    The success of automobile semiconductor manufacturing in India will surely enable the growth of end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing for different domains.

    PSA

    NXP is a leader in advance autonomous semiconductor solutions from design to manufacturing and below videos show a glimpse of how they do it.

  • The Smart

    The Smart

    Photo by Rahul Chakraborty on Unsplash

    THE SMART

    As technology is progressing, the world is becoming smarter. The decision making is becoming more data-driven rather than experience-driven. People around the globe rely more on smart systems to find solutions to their daily problems. With the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and its influence on day to day life, the world is only going to become more reliant on smart services and products.

    The smart software and hardware systems have already found its way into every consumer product. Cars are becoming more connected. Homes are becoming more energy-efficient due to data-driven decisions. Logistics and transportation are data-enabled too. All this has enabled companies to spend wisely, while being profitable at the same time.

    The next decade is going to see the wider adoption of smart devices. The impact of these devices is going to enable a smarter ecosystem. Software companies are also launching smart hardware, which is also helping in the growth of the smart ecosystem market.

    There are certain key areas where smart technology is going to enjoy an exponential growth.

    THE SMART KEY AREAS

    Major areas where the smart technology is going to be more profitable are:

    • Smart Data
    • Smart Environment
    • Smart Manufacturing
    • Smart Transportation

    Smart Data: The systems that are being deployed across the cities, offices, houses, industrial areas, etc., are by default being designed to monitor the surroundings. The major goal of these systems is to capture the data in the cleanest form possible. The subsequent system doesn’t have to post-process the data and this ensures that the decision is provided in the shortest possible time. The data collection, processing, and the presentation are going to be the critical piece in order to classify a system as smart data ready. Smart data has already seen tremendous growth in the last decade and promises to be on the same path.

    Smart Environment: In the last decade, as technology innovation has progressed, so has the use and deployment of it. The turnkey infrastructure projects have embraced the new possibilities that smart solutions are capable of providing. The buildings are becoming more sensor-driven. The cities are becoming more connected. The open spaces are more secure due to smart security cameras. The schools and offices are more eco-friendly. All this is becoming possible due to the efficient use of spaces that are being created with the usage of the smart systems, which can project and provide an optimized solution against the capital expenditure. The net-zero concept is the main driver in enabling the smart environments around the cities and countries. With new infrastructure projects, the smart environment domain is only going to enable the growth and adoption of the smarter technologies.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Smart Manufacturing: Manufacturing is hard. The time and effort required to build a product involves a lot of steps and resources. Any company that is into manufacturing has one major goal: eliminate waste. The waste can be at any stage from the procurement to development to delivery. Money saved in manufacturing without compromising the quality is money earned. Companies are relying more on the robotic decision (while balancing human resources) to optimize the manufacturing process. Smart manufacturing is also relying on artificial data decisions to make a more profound judgment based on the market need, in order to manufacture the products efficiently. Industry 4.0 is here, but in a few years time, the world will move to Industry 5.0, which will rely more on smart manufacturing. As the factories start to invest in smart manufacturing to reduce waste, the opportunities for the smart solution providers will also grow. It has already started happening in automobile and semiconductor manufacturing.

    Smart Transportation: It is human nature to move from one place to another in the search of better opportunities. Uber and Lyft have already provided a sneak peek on how future transportation is going to be. With Waymo expanding the driverless riding services, more driverless cars will inevitably be seen around. This points out how the world is going to adopt smart transportation that is connected and statistically geared to be safer than human-driven cars. The logistics domain is also going to adopt to these smart technologies to save on the cost and become more profitable. As more companies and startups put in talent to make vehicles ecosystems smarter, the opportunities in this area will also keep growing.

    These are the four key areas, where the smart ecosystem is enjoying (and will keeping doing so) faster adoption and positive growth.

    THE SMART FUTURE

    The smart solution heavily relies on both the smart software and smart hardware.

    Smart software: In the last decade, software has become more advanced that ever. The machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence solution created on top of the vast amount of data collected due to internet adoption, have ensured that the systems can understand the need before it is needed. As more people come on board the online world, the growth and usage of the smart software is also going to increase.

    Smart Hardware: Hardware development has kept the pace with the software, however, the hardware innovation has always relied on massive systems that are power-hungry. The supercomputers are capable of providing solutions in seconds, but that comes at a steep cost. Slowly, the hardware is also getting embedded with artificial intelligence, at the architecture design stage, to make it more adaptive and thus ensuring smart solution at low cost. The possibility of performing massive computation at source is going to make the computer systems more smarter and faster than ever.

    It will be interesting to see how the growth in the smart software and the smart hardware solutions in the next decade is going to shape the smart world.

  • The HaaS

    The HaaS

    Photo by Taylor Vick on Unsplash

    The software business delivery model has been constantly changing. It has adapted the need of the market by leveraging all the possible ways to deliver the software solution hassle-free. From installing software using a CD-ROM or USB Flash Drive to installing over the internet, the ease of accessing and using software has changed a lot.

    The customers have also adapted to the changing landscape. From worrying about configuring the license key correctly to transitioning to subscription (monthly/yearly) model has provided numerous benefits.

    One major change in the software delivery model has been the cloud services, which has pushed the applications from the desktop to the browsers. This has greatly eliminated the need to configure the operating system and environment settings required to ensure that the application works flawlessly. Today, with the click of a button, one can securely log on to the website and access the software tools using any browser without worrying about the underlying operating system.

    While the software has certainly made great progress, hardware has not been behind. The sole reason one can access software tools remotely is that the data centers located in the different parts of the world are working in harmony. This is to ensure that all the requests are processed with zero downtime and minimal delay. The underlying network of hardware ensures that, low latency is not a hindrance in accessing the software features. This has removed the need to maintain self-hosted servers and has allowed customers to instead invest in other critical solution to make the day to day task more productive.

    The software licensing and delivery model today is termed as Software-As-A-Service (SaaS). It is a subscription-driven model where the application is hosted on a server and can be simultaneously accessed by all the subscribers without any resource constraints. The server will have all the software dependency pre-configured to let the developers focus on the delivery.

    To run the SaaS model, a set of hardware tools are required. Instead of spending millions of dollars on the hardware infrastructure and maintenance, many enterprises and solution seekers have moved to the hardware licensing and delivery model and it is termed as Hardware-As-A-Service (HaaS).

    The major difference between SaaS and HaaS, is the application. SaaS is primary all about software, while HaaS is not just about computer hardware and system but also about all those smart hardware solutions that are running the SaaS.

    THE HaaS APPLICATIONS

    The application areas of any given product is what differentiates it from competitors. In the last decade, the HaaS application has increased and many smart hardware providers have moved to the product-based service model.

    The important application area of HaaS has been the data center, where cloud service providers (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc.) and content delivery networks (Akamai, Cloudflare, etc.) have created plethora resources to cater the growing need and demand of software enterprises. Anyone can rent as many nodes required and deploy a solution. The shared and dedicated website hosting also falls into the same category. Renting out per month basis than buying the hardware and setting up in the office is more cheaper and reliable. HaaS (Hardware == Data Center) also eliminates the cost of setting up a dedicated team to handle all the data center related issues.

    The growth of smart devices has lead to change in the way consumers consume these products. Taking the queue from the smartphone business, it is evident that a new version of the smartphone is launched every year. This automatically prompts consumers to buy a new one due to the attractive features. Shelling out more than $500 every year on a smartphone is not what every consumer would like to do. To tackle this issue, the service providers (mainly cellular one) moved to the HaaS model (Hardware == Smart Device), in which they started providing the smartphone as part of a monthly plan than paying upfront. It certainly has pros and cons, but has provided consumers the ability to switch to better devices as and when required. This smartphone subscription model is now being extended to several other smart devices like cameras, drones, watches, security, T.V., and the list is endless.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Mobility is a very crucial part of the day to day life. In the transportation area, the HaaS model (Hardware == Vehicle) has been in use for decades. The model of renting the vehicle for a specific period is well proven and widely used. Due to the proliferation of vehicles for hire services, the HaaS model is being applied more relentlessly. From car to skateboard to electric bike to bicycle, now everything is available under the HaaS model. The growth of point-to-point will keep extending the application area of the HaaS within the mobility domain. Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha are going to mostly rent the vehicles under the HaaS model than spending money to purchase one.

    As countries around the world move towards 5G and Wi-Fi 6, the digital landscape will also change as more consumers will have the ability to connect to the online world. This will demand a vast array of the internet of things that needs to be deployed across cities, states, and countries. The business (internet service providers) will unlikely follow the trend of settings technology on their own. This is where the HaaS (Hardware == Internet of Things) model will come in as a way to save cost while providing services.

    Apart from the discussed application areas above, there are still miscellaneous domains where the HaaS model can be applied. It is already in use in the airline industry, where purchasing air crafts has moved to a year-long rental agreement. A similar concept will start to fill in the developing world where services are more vital now than ever.

    THE HaaS BENEFITS

    Technology when applied correctly, provides numerous benefits. SaaS showed many benefits to the software world. Same applies to the hardware world due to the HaaS implementation.

    Cost is one of the major benefits of HaaS. The ability to rent out as many nodes for as many days required has provided new way for consumers to manage the cost. In many cases, consumers can spend money wisely in other critical areas. The ability to terminate and forget about the infrastructure is also one keys to why the HaaS model is getting popular.

    The HaaS provides a way to access services anywhere. From data centers to mobility all are available at the click of the button. The HaaS will be deployed and available at the doorsteps. Majority of the cities around the world are already equipped with several HaaS services and this has provided reliable uptime to the services.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Portability is another important benefit of HaaS. The option to switch smart devices to a new one without worrying about the cost is one example. Even with data centers, one can move from one cloud HaaS provide to another, without the need to understand the underlying process and technical challenges.

    With SaaS, the quality and reliability of software services improved. Always on services and customer support was a great addition to the SaaS model and it has ensured that the customers are never out of help. The same quality and reliability solutions have been extended to the HaaS model and are taking the customer experience to a new level.

    Digital transformation, expanding high-speed network, and advancement in the semiconductor solution is only going to improve the HaaS experience.

    THE HaaS FUTURE

    Given the expansion of the artificial intelligence and autonomous solutions, it is highly unlikely that the HaaS delivery model will change much from the existing one.

    The HaaS in the future will keep evolving around the following three important aspects:

    • Users
    • Middleware
    • Services
    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Users are the consumers for the HaaS model and paying for the service. Middleware is the connectors between the users and service providers and gets the share of both sides of businesses. Services are the different solution providers with innovative services and products.

    It will be interesting to see if the industry moves to a new way of subscribing to the services. Currently, the business is moving around pay as a use model, and it has worked wonders both for the service providers and the consumers. However, every model evolves, and with the rate at which the technology is advancing, it will be important to adapt the business model accordingly. What new way of supporting these services will come, only time will show.

  • The Edge Computing

    The Edge Computing

    Photo by Tony Stoddard on Unsplash

    In the hardware systems, the cache is used by Central Processing Units (CPU) to reduce the time which is required to access the data from the lower level memory like RAM. It does so by bringing the data beforehand (depending on the policy used) in the cache, which re-sides closer to the CPU.

    This allows CPUs to perform calculations faster as the cycle time gets reduced and the latency is lowered. It also lowers the time and energy required to perform the computation task.

    Same concept is applicable for the software systems, in which caching of data leads to faster access which reduces the response time and improves user experience. Content Delivery Network (CDN) is one of the best examples of software caching. Even web browsers use it.

    Image
    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    However, both the hardware and the software caching systems are good from a data point of view, but not for computation. In the hardware systems, data is brought closer to the CPU for processing while in software systems the data is brought closer to the user after processing. For both the systems, if the source data is updated, then new data has to be fetched, which adds cost, time, and energy.

    With the growing digital user base and improved connectivity around the world, the importance of caching is increasing to cater the data and computation demand.

    In order to serve this growing demand, the edge computing is being deployed. In a nutshell, the edge computing provides data and computation closer to the nodes requesting it with the help of widely deployed array of hardware. This leads to faster response time, reduces time to deliver the content, and provides massive distributed processing power.

    EDGE COMPUTING BENEFITS

    Large scale deployment of the edge computing is going to be a win-win situation for both the businesses and the consumers. The hardware and software deployment and development around the edge computing are also going to bring a tremendous amount of skill-based employment opportunities. The edge computing has numerous benefits. There are already several solutions from the semiconductor industry for the edge computing.

    One of the important benefit of the edge computing is the computation speed. The edge computing can distribute the single task across different edge nodes, which reduces time to accomplish task. With 5G and Wi-Fi 6, the off-loading of the task to nearby edge nodes is going to ensure low latency and reliable service.

    By reducing the number of hopes required to access the computation and data resources, the edge computing will also provide better security. The computation to be performed can be done by nearby nodes and the data to be accessed can also be stored at the same nodes. This process shields against any intruders trying to access the data by reducing the number of hops.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The edge computing is also designed to be scalable. There are no restrictions on the number of edge nodes that a specific network can hold, as long as the edge computing network is balancing the supply and demand requirement, and is not high on cost.

    Adoption of 5G will be a gradual process. Consumers will take time to upgrade devices that are 5G compatible. To cater to the previous generation (2.5G/3G/4G) technology users, interoperability is important. The edge computing is capable of providing interoperability, thus both new and legacy devices can work with the same edge node.

    The major application areas of the edge computing is going to be On-Device Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will allow smart devices (smartphones, cameras, sensors, etc.) to off-load the compute intensive task to the nearby edge nodes.

    The edge computing will take digital experience to the next level.

    EDGE COMPUTING OPPORTUNITIES

    Every new technological solution presents new opportunities for the businesses. Consumers also gain due to the new products and services. From a business point of view, the edge computing provides several ways to generate revenue.

    The edge computing will drive the introduction of new products. Both software and hardware solutions will be introduced. Businesses can explore the edge computing in form of Edge As A Service (EAAS) by allowing smaller companies access to the edge resources in order to provide over the top services. This will also drive revenue.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Computing at the edge also requires a networks of hardware that can accept the task request, process it, and send it back to the requester. To develop such smart hardware for the edge computing, the semiconductor companies are comping with low energy and high-performance electronic chips, which can used by the developers to launch new hardware products. All this opens new revenue opportunity for different segments for smaller, mid to high scale enterprises.

    The edge computing on top of the smart hardware will increase the adoption rate of the digital services. This will also lead to acquisition of new consumers and will open multiple revenue opportunities.

    The edge computing offers exciting benefits and opportunities. Both businesses and consumers are going to be at advantage.

    The major application areas that the edge computing is going drive are smart cars, smart cities, smart industry, smart manufacturing, and smart home automation systems.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    It will be interesting to see how the industry comes forward and uses the edge computing to launch new digital solutions for the market.

    The country which will deploy and adopt the edge computing enabled 5G networks faster is going to be the leader in digital services and information technology for the next decade.

  • The Drones Are Flying

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    DRONE

    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have been in use since 1849. Several countries around the world have invested in massive research and development activities to make use of UAV for surveillance activities by the armed forces. All the military-grade UAVs are distinctly complex and wide-body machines.

    In recent years, due to the development in the semiconductor process technology and the advancement in software development, the form factor of high-tech hardware and software solutions have been shrinking. Along with the improved connectivity and wireless communication technology, the UAVs are now also being used by civilians for personal and professional non-military activities.

    The civilian UAV are more popularly known as drone.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    With the flying capability and ability to get controlled remotely, the drone can reach places easily where humans require heavy machinery to do so.

    The primary usage of the civilian drone has been for aerial photography and videography due to the high-resolution cameras that the drone can fly with. Lately, the application area has widened to agriculture, scientific research, and numerous other business segments.

    DRONE APPLICATIONS

    There are different areas where the drone is useful. Mainly in the areas where deployment of the drone can lead to lower operating cost compared to the existing solutions.

    In Agriculture it is not only important to monitor the yield of the crops but also critical to understand the effect of the new agriculture technique. Going by the traditional approach of performing the acres of land inspection manually is not only time consuming but is a labor-intensive task too. This is where the drone come into the picture. The drone can either fly from nearby centers to monitor the farming or can reside near the field. In both the cases it can be controlled remotely. On top, farmers can also be trained to fly the drone.

    The drone can be programmed with the map of the agriculture land to automatically capture the aerial high-resolution pictures and videos. The data captured can then be uploaded to the cloud servers for further analysis. The farmers can then get the accurate feedback on the progress of their crops, along with live audio/video advice.

    Another important application area of the drone is to perform survey. Surveys can be to understand the structure of a high rise, finding any faults on long pipelines located in terrain land, checking on the high rise electric pole lines, and many other important areas where humans will require heavy instruments (high cost) to reach. The drone can also be very handy in surveying bridges and tunnels. Similar to the agriculture application, the data captured from the cameras can aid in understanding whether maintenance is required or not.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The drone are also being used for adventure activities like capturing videos during a movie stunt, aerial view of national parks and many other adventure activities. The high resolution cameras provide breathtaking view from a point of location that humans cannot read easily.

    The drone is already is use at police and firefighter departments across the world. The primary reason to use the drone by the police departments is to inspect suspicious areas. With the help of sensors and cameras, the drone can per-alert and provide details about whether it is safe enter the area or not. The firefighters are deploying water loaded drones to put off the fire in buildings or complex, where it is not safe for a human to reach. Civil engineering and the oil/gas industry are also increasingly deploying the drone to inspect infrastructures in order to predict maintenance.

    Lately, the most crucial use case of the drone being discussed a lot is the delivery of the packages within the city flying zone. Few of the companies have already got an operating license to do so on a pilot basis. If implemented at large scale across different cities, the cost and time benefits are humongous.

    The drone will also help in reducing the carbon footprint.

    DRONE HURDLES

    The drone have numerous use cases. Hardware companies are launching new drone concepts every month. At the same time the software companies are making it easier to fly the drone along with data capturing and processing.

    However, with opportunities come hurdles.

    Currently, the biggest battle around the drone is who can use it for the commercial purpose. Many countries are coming up with the state and national level policies on the drone commercial activities. The major (and important) requirement is going to be the basic training and license required to operate the drone. It will take a few more years before the drone policies are aligned between the businesses and governments.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The next big challenge is the privacy. Due to the ability to fly at high altitudes, the drone may capture aerial footage of the private locations. There are already the drone catcher technologies, however these require investment and capital which not everyone can afford. Hence, clear guidelines and laws need to be defined around the drone and the privacy breach.

    Safety is another hurdle. The autopilot has been in use for a long time but only for commercial flights flow by trained pilot. When it comes to the drone, the operator is not trained for hours. It is certainly possible to automate the drone flying, but there are still users who would like to control the drone flight. There is a possibility that the flight control can be lost, thus raising safety concerns.

    The drone are becoming cheaper year-on-year. Every year, new solutions and the software/hardware technologies in the drone is also making it costly. To break even the investment on the drone systems from the business and consumers point of view can be challenging task. A subscription based buying model can be helpful.

    DRONE FUTURE

    The drone segment is poised to become a $50 Billion market by 2025. The application areas are clearly defined. Many new use cases and promising innovation around the drone technology are being implemented by several companies and startups around the world.

    Ecommerce and logistics companies have already started to experiment with the drone delivery services. Drone enables faster delivery, are more carbon-friendly, and lower the shipping cost. The drone delivery system will be game changer for cities with heavy road traffic.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The drone will also drive innovation of smart hardware and software products. With the expanding market, new electronic sensor-based solutions will be developed along with smart software tools to make drone flying experience safer. All this will open new revenue sources for both the software and the hardware businesses.

    The time for the drone to take off has come.

  • The Hearables

    The Hearables

    Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

    THE HEARABLES

    The hearables are the smart technology-enabled over-the-ear or in-the-ear devices that are mainly used for music listening. The natural language assistant has equipped the hearables with the ability to talk. These smart assistant can interactively talk to the user using the inbuilt speakers, and then can also listen to the user with the help of the microphone. The hearables also have inbuilt features like ambient sound control and active noise cancellation.

    The majority of the hearables use Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, which allows voice control of the smart phone with the help of the virtual assistant. Though not everyone is comfortable talking to these virtual assistants in public, however with the increasing use, it is becoming a new normal.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Every major smartphone and audio company in the world has launched its own hearables. Technology companies are merging the best of the audio, hardware, and software to create new solutions around the hearables. Google is deploying artificial intelligence-enabled voice assistant, while Amazon is focused on enhancing online shopping and audiobook experience with the help of the hearables.

    There are already numerous applications of the hearables and it will be exciting to see what the consumers get to experience in coming years.

    THE HEARABLES APPLICATIONS

    The application of any technological solutions requires multiple functions to work in harmony. First and foremost is the underlying hardware technology, the second is the connectivity (mainly wireless), third is the software systems running on top of the hardware and fourth is the application ecosystem driven by the developer community.

    Starting from pre-internet to the post-internet ear, all the consumer-oriented solutions have relied on these four major points for success. Whether it is Windows powering the majority of the world personal computer or Android changing the landscape of the mobile industry. The same is also applicable for the hearables, except that majority of these underlying solutions (hardware, software, connectivity, and ecosystem) already existed beforehand. With the hearables, the companies have simply taken the existing software/hardware infrastructure and extended it to the hearables. So far, the outcome has become anything but positive.

    Entertainment has always been the default application of the hearables. The small form factor and features like active noise cancellation has surely taken the audio experience to the next level. The applications on the mobile devices can now connect to the hearables via Bluetooth, which provides an ability to control different features using the smart gestures.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Another major application of the hearables has been to swiftly interact with the voice assistant. The offloading of tasks after sending instructions via the hearables has made the smart devices more interactive. It can be used to retrieve important information like the weather forecast, nearby places, and many other useful data. All this has been possible due to the underlying smart hardware that can capture and process the natural voice.

    The hearables also offer audio privacy and enable one to interact with the party on the other side without compromising the confidential information exchange. There are still gaps, mainly from the speaker’s point of view and it will take a breakthrough technology to overcome some of the gaps.

    Cross reality by default requires a pair of devices to connect with ears. The hearables are the perfect candidate due to the smaller form factor. The hearables mixed with cross reality is going to provide new avenues on how to project information in the virtual world.

    In the coming decade, the application areas of the hearables will surely expand.

    THE HEARABLES OPPORTUNITY

    The smart features requires the smartest of hardware and software.

    The hearables might be marketed by a specific company, but a lot goes inside these little devices which requires effort from several design, development, and manufacturing companies. The software part is still being handled majorly by the vendors selling the hearables, but the application ecosystem opens up a lot of opportunities for the developers.

    Hardware companies, mainly semiconductors, will have a lot of opportunities to launch new low power and smaller electronic audio/voice chip. Noise cancellation system will have to keep improving to consider the work from anywhere scenario, which also opens up new opportunity and revenue for the semiconductor companies. Context-awareness is another promising feature, for which the hearables will require smart sensors in order to adapt to the environment.

    Wired charging will be phased out of the market in the next decade, and the hearables will also have to adopt wireless charging system. Already different wireless charging solutions are available in the market, but fast wireless charging will be the key until the battery technology evolves. A portable battery bank cum carrying case for the hearables will be another area that companies can target.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Software innovation will also open up new opportunities. It is expected that going forward the hearables will be able to connect with the cellular towers, and when that happens the services will have to be provided mostly over the voice. This will require smart applications to make most of the hearables. For example, the banking application on the hearables can provide details about the bank balance or initiate transfer with voice commands. 

    Voice assistants are already in use, but local language support will be the key. Providing local language support will increase the reach of the hearables. Audio control is already part of the hearables. Extending it beyond just the master mobile device will open up new ways to interact with the world. For example, controlling car infotainment using the hearables.

    Hardware electronic chips can only cancel 70-80% of the noise. In order to achieve 100% noise cancellation, software adaptive features are required, which can capture and filter out the noise. Innovation around the software noise cancellation will also lower the cost of the hearables, as it will eliminate the need to have a dedicated hardware chip inside the hearables.

    The hearables have opened new opportunities for both the hardware and software domains. The domain is expected to grow more in coming years.

    THE HEARABLES FUTURE

    Over the next decade, the adoption of the smart devices will increase, mostly in the developing market. With Google becoming more of an AI service business, many local vendors from the developing market can take advantage of its solution to provide locally manufactured smart hearables.

    It is inevitable that Android will also find its way on the hearables and it will make them a standalone device rather an add-on one. However, to make the hearables work as a standalone system, it will be critical to provide better power management. Dynamic task management can only drive efficiency to a certain extend and that is why the advanced battery technology is need of the hour.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The development of the hearables as a technology platform will demand different form factors. Advanced semiconductor process nodes along with flexible hybrid electronics will ensure that hearables become much smaller and flexible than they are now.

    Expansion of 5G small cell connectivity will ensure that the hearables can form a network that securely allows sharing of the information within a specific range. This will take the person-to-person voice communication to a new level and make the hearables smarter than ever.

    One of the major domains that every smart device eventually tries to target is healthcare. The hearables are yet to enter this market due to the limited use case. It will be exciting to see how the evolution of the hearables occurs over the next decade from healthcare point of view.

    The hearables have got lot of traction and have already captured the market faster than other smart devices. Next few years will be exciting as the innovation around the hearables grows.

  • The Modern Ecosystem – Technology Platforms

    The Modern Ecosystem – Technology Platforms

    Photo by Reginar on Unsplash

    An ecosystem requires synchronized interaction of a Producer, Environment, and a Consumer. The inter-dependency and synchronous working leads to a perfect ecosystem on which life survives.

    In the last few decades, the definition of the ecosystem has been applied to the technology world. Ecosystem development in different business segments has enabled innovations, which has in turn provided the world with new products and solutions.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    In technology, an ecosystem is majorly reliant on the software and hardware systems. Due to the increased proliferation of internet users worldwide, the ecosystem has moved to the digital domain too.

    All the ecosystems in software, hardware, and digital domain have created different platforms for anyone with the right skills to develop elegant solutions. The connected world allows anyone to take advantage of the existing infrastructure to provide products and services directly to the intended consumer.

    However, the development of ecosystems has been limited to each of these three domains only and it is vital to understand how future modern platforms will look like.

    HARDWARE PLATFORMS

    The invention and innovation of transistors in the last half-century made possible the development of several unique hardware solutions that have taken computing to every corner of the world.

    The form factors of computing devices have changed a lot in the last two to three decades, largely due to the Moore’s law. Every year the world gets to witness incredibly compact and insanely fast computer systems.

    The computers that were only supposed to be part of the research centers in the form of mainframe and servers, transformed into the smaller form factor of desktops in the 1980s and 1990s.

    The desktop allowed everyone to have their personal computers (PCs) at homes and offices. These PCs are capable of performing fast calculations, running high resolution videos and games apart from having ability to run applications that allow completion of numerous tasks in the shortest possible time.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    In the late 1990s and early 2000s, portable laptops took over the world. Companies started innovating with advancement processors and graphics, and so were able to deliver content on the go. Businesses also became more mobile.

    Right after laptops, smartphones were launched in the early 2000s which allowed on the go connectivity. Smartphones connected the world at the click of a button. The form factor and battery life made it very easy to capture and consume information in real time.

    All these hardware devices have lead to the creation of hardware platforms that allow anyone to be connected and perform task remotely. The ecosystem of hardware platforms ensures that one can deploy ideas, software, and applications for consumers to use from anywhere on any hardware of their choice.

    The amazing innovative work being done by semiconductors, manufacturing, and assembly companies around the world is also the major reason for the existence of hardware platforms for everyone.

    With the improvement in connectivity, these hardware platforms have become the most critical part of the life. All the smart devices, computers, servers, sensors, and internet routers together drive hardware platforms, that are enabling innovation like never before.

    SOFTWARE PLATFORMS

    In parallel to the invention of hardware (transistors and electronics chips), one more innovative work was getting developed. It started with different types of programming languages and then moved to graphical user interface (GUI). A combination of both gave birth to the advanced softwares.

    Software took advantage of the computing capability of the hardware to provide solutions that allowed completion of tasks in hours, which otherwise would take days. Later on, with the introduction of operating systems, the hardware started to become more intuitive and smart.

    UNIX, LINUX, and Microsoft Windows played key role in ensuring that developers can contribute by deploying applications written for hardware systems.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Software innovation has also allowed access to the hardware internals with the help of drivers written using different libraries. With the synchronized working of the operating systems, libraries, and applications on top of a hardware platform enabled data transfer.

    In the pre-internet era, data transfer was largely limited to a floppy disk, hard drive, and a pen drive. However, post-internet era has been all about data packet transfer from one hardware to another with the help of secure software platforms.

    Software, which started a journey on mainframes as punch cards, now could run on the smallest possible hardware and sensors with minimal power consumption. This has lead to the creation of software platforms that allow the world to be digitally connected and is more real-time than ever.

    DIGITAL PLATFORMS

    Hardware and software have been in existence for many years. The last 40 years saw numerous innovations, form factors, and the true potential of these two computer systems. The computer solutions built with hardware and software combination helped building a nexus between people by providing enormous life-enriching smart solutions.

    Today, with the internet becoming part of everyone’s life, the opportunities for the next few decades are infinite. Already, modern services in 2020 are more data-driven which ensure that the right product is available at the right time for the right user.

    The combination of hardware, software, data, and the internet has provided a new platform to the world, called digital platforms.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Digital platforms are built on top of the hardware and software, but it differs from hardware and software platforms due to the additional use of data and the internet to provide over the top product and services. With the help of the internet, products and services can be optimized and delivered remotely.

    The data points generated with the increased usage of the internet allows any business to adapt to the consumer’s needs by accessing demand based on data points from different consumer behavior.

    As the world moves towards more advanced wireless solutions, the innovative solutions on top of the digital platforms are only going to increase.

    TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS

    In computer programming, the concept of Application Programming Interface (API) is so powerful that it gets overwhelming to realize the elegance of solutions it helps to implement.

    In short, API allows access to the services with the help of the software commands. For example, consider the payment gateway on an eCommerce website using a third party payment solution to process payments. With the help of API, the consumers can pay using different payment modes while the eCommerce website need not be worried about the processing and security of the payment details, as it relies on the secure API from by the third party.

    Similarly, there are other solutions in the market that are API driven.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The technology platform applied using API will play a crucial part in realizing the one world market,

    Technology platforms are a combination of hardware, software, and digital platforms with the added element of a producer and a consumer. It is an open platform that has consumers on board with producers who have become capable of selling products without investing capital in the underlying technology.

    Technology platforms also allow single or combination of other platforms to exists and thrive. The creators of the technology platforms themselves will not be able to make full use of it until and unless the platform itself is open to both the producer and consumer.

    One of the major drawbacks of technology platforms will be the amount of time and capital expenditure it will take to create. Not every company will be able to develop the technology platforms, and thus their number will be limited.

    It is fair to say that the technology platforms were already in the making for the last few decades. Today, these platforms are more relevant than ever. Mobile networks is one example of such platforms that allow hardware to digital platforms creation.

    It will be exciting to see how the next decade with the proliferation of high-speed wireless networks will drive the technology platform innovation.

  • V2X – Vehicle To Everything

    V2X – Vehicle To Everything

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    Over the last half-century, vehicles have played an important role in everyone’s life. It has enabled point-to-point commute a faster and an efficient process. Whether one is traveling on a public bus or a private car, each of these vehicle types play a very crucial role in enabling ease of living.

    The last decade saw a drastic change in how the automotive industry manufactures vehicles. Vehicles of all forms are now much more fuel-efficient. Alternate fuel technologies are being used on a large scale. Features are provided that make vehicles safer and more aware. Enhanced digital experience by making most of the auto software tools built on top of the Android Auto and Apple CayPlay ecosystem.

    The next big change in vehicles is going to be on the data and communication technologies.

    On the data front, there are already many interesting hardware-based solutions that can capture the data generated by the vehicle. Then present it to the consumers and businesses to understand vehicle behavior and/or to track the vehicle usage. This is possible due to the standardization of the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) and Controller Area Network (CAN). Data is also critical for the automotive industry to manufacture the products with zero defects.

    There are still many unexplored opportunities in the data domain due to the lack of continuous high speed internet access inside the vehicle. With 5G communication networks even vehicles can be equipped with the high speed internet. This will also allow many over the top service and will enable data driven innovation.

    The next decade is going to change how data is accessed within a vehicle due to the 5G expansion. Due to the different frequency bands 5G can run on, it makes it a perfect solution to enable real-time information access.

    While data and communication will play a major role in the automotive industry, it is also critical to understand the specifics of how this foundation will be laid.

    VEHICLE TO FUTURE

    The answer of how to make use of data and communication in automotive industry lies in the solutions provided under Vehicle To Everything (V2X).

    V2X holds big promises. All the sensors and the data points when combined ensure that vehicles are more secure and aware than ever.

    V2X already enables on the go real-time entertainment, but in the future with 5G and other network infrastructure, on-demand information and entertainment will go hand in hand.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The developments around V2X will provide second by second tracking of the logistics and will prealert any possible issues with traffic, vehicle, and any important information that may lead to shipment delays.

    V2X will also enable different levels of vehicle autonomy apart from securing pedestrians and bicyclists from colliding on vehicles. V2X will also increase the number of small cell networks by converting the vehicle itself as a cellular point of access.

    It is important to understand how V2X does so with the help of different technology domains within V2X.

    VEHICLE TO EVERYTHING

    Vehicle-To-Everything (V2X) is all about how vehicles are able to send the data out and get the data in with the help of advanced communication technologies. With 5G, there is going to be a rapid increase in V2X implementation. Every new vehicle in the market will then act as a data point, router, and network in itself.

    The X in V2X stands for the different technology domain a vehicle has started being part of.

    Vehicle-To-Network (V2N) – V2N is the foundation of V2X. With the help of widely deployed communication network within and outside the vehicle, high speed data transfer can occur. The important use of V2N is voice and data communication for real-time navigation and entertainment apart from the critical emergency roadside assistance. Internet access using hotspots also comes under V2N.

    Any other V2X technology domain is fully dependent on V2N as without a communication network (specially wireless), none of the other V2X implementations can work.

    Vehicle-To-Infrastructure (V2I) – V2I is critical for level 5 automation where along with LIDAR and other self-driving sensors the data based approximation also is useful. This way vehicles can distinguish between road and obstacles much better than just a single data point coming from the use of vehicle’s own hardware. This is done so by feeding the vehicle with live view of surrounding by communicating directly with near by internet and data nodes. This continuous data feed helps in decision making. Apart from self-driving, V2I can also communicate with the traffic control network directly. Using this information vehicle can adjust/advice speed to ensure that the traffic block miles away does not get more congested.

    Vehicle-To-Vehicle (V2V) – V2V takes the help of V2N along with V2I to capture information from vehicles in close proximity. With V2V, Vehicles can communicate about traffic, speed, collision, and distance. All these data points will enable much safer driving compared to the past decade. A self-driving vehicle is heavily dependent on its sensors to capture, decode, and react to the real time situation. If the same self-driving vehicle gets accurate input that makes the driving safer, then it will also increase the adoption and take safety to the next level. This is where V2V is important and helps drive zero accident occurrence.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Vehicle-To-Pedestrian (V2P) – V2P takes the approach of ensuring that the vehicle is always able to detect and take action in case a pedestrian or bicyclist comes in the way. V2P relies on V2N and V2I data points and then combines it with its data to ensure that any critical scenario like a pedestrian or bicyclist coming in front of the vehicle, is handled without comprising on the safety of the pedestrian or bicyclist and even the passengers. Most of the systems in the vehicle today are already equipped with processing capability to alert the driver for different collision scenarios, but with V2P the data point will allow another layer of security and ensures 100% accurate collision alerts by considering 360 degree view .

    Vehicle-To-Device (V2D) – V2D is already in use in most of the vehicles out in the market. With the help of Bluetooth communication any device can connect with the vehicle and do many tasks from answering calls to playing music to logging data via OBD. The next step in V2D will be to allow smart devices to make use of small cell 5G networks that every vehicle will come equipped with. This will allow vehicles to act as hotspots. V2D will also enable advanced secure keyless vehicle entry along with remote startup, locking, and tracking.

    Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) – V2G is all about electric vehicles plugging into the electric grids. These grids can be in a parking lot, home, or a roadside charging station. V2G allows real-time tracking of nearby grids that can be used to charge the vehicles. The same grids can also perform a diagnostic check to ensure that the safety of the vehicle is not compromised and the battery to internal electrical networks is intact. Performing such smart checks with V2G will provide more safety than mile based servicing currently followed by the manufacturers. The data points gathered with V2G every time an electric vehicle is charged then can be sent to the central servers to process and understand usage of energy along with other data insights.

    V2X provide unlimited opportunity not only to the automotive industry but also to the hardware and software businesses. The consumers are also going to see rapid increase in the feature list. It will be interesting to see how automotive industry provides V2X features without making it too costly for the consumers. Otherwise, wide adoption of V2X will not be possible.

    Bloomberg technology has an interesting video on 5G and the Future of Connected Vehicles showcasing the importance of having a universal data and communication standard to enable growth of V2X.

  • Electronic ID – Authentication From Anywhere

    Electronic ID – Authentication From Anywhere

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    Identity is the backbone of Know Your Customer (KYC) process. Every country and company has its process and technology to ensure that the correct people have access to the correct resources. In the digital world, the Know Your Customer is moving to Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC).

    Today, the world still relies on different types of identity documents for different services, with each service generating its identity numbers. From driving license to passport the list to have unique identity numbers and identity documents to prove the authentic identity of the owner never ends.

    On top of this, the majority of the countries have national identification programs that capture demographic or/and bio-metric information and connect it to an unique identification number. For example, the United States of America has Social Security Number, and then India has Aadhaar.

    Such national identification programs have met with a lot of criticism, but the fact is that the digital world will eventually rely on these centralized systems to shift from the traditional approach to have a separate identity document and identification number which used to prove the ownership.

    There is a dire need to move away from this process of providing a unique identity to each of the service types so that not only the process is centralized and relies on unique identification number and management but is also fast, secure, and enables cost-saving.

    The unique identification number and management solutions are important and critical in the digital world, and demands advanced solutions like Electronic ID (eID).

    IDENTITY PROBLEM

    To implement and use unique identification numbers and management, connected and secured infrastructure is required to ensure that the identity of the person and entity is preserved without compromising on security.

    Even though these unique identification programs have been implemented and in use, some gaps are there which still exist.

    Authentication on a connected system after producing identity card details is still not secure, costly, unreliable, and a slow process. Another fact is that all this requires an investment in infrastructure that validates the identity and makes the system costly for the business authenticating the details. Eventually, all these charges are passed to the consumer which makes it a costly process in the long term.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Data management is another issue because lack of standardization leads to add on investment in order to upgrade the systems to accept the new unique identification features while ensuring backward-compatibility.

    After all these investments and infrastructure to authenticate, there is no guarantee that the system is secure. With all the advanced approaches, the identity still gets stolen and thus invites fraud.

    All these issues make a strong case for unique identification number and management but using Electronic Identity (eID).

    IDENTITY SOLUTION

    One of the most talked-about solutions to solve identity management crises is Electronic ID (eID), which makes use of sensors and NFC enabled Electronic Identification Card (eIC) to authenticate the identity of the people.

    eID relies on demographic or/and bio-metric information to validate correct details. These details are already part of many national identification programs. By making use of eID, these programs can solve the identity crisis by ensuring security and centralization by data storage.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    The smart cards that use eIDs are called eICs which are equipped with electronic chips to ensure that the data is stored securely and also transferred with encryption when required. Along with these features, these eICs also make use of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) that enhances security and avoids theft.

    There are already many solutions in the market catering to the need for eICs. Like NXP’s National Electronic ID (NeID) solution not only secures the information but also allows high return on investment. A similar solution is also available from Infineon that is also targeted toward NeID.

    With EU going for Electronic IDentification, Authentication, And Trust Services (eIDAS), the adoption of eICs is going to be faster than anticipated.

    IDENTITY INNOVATION

    Many innovative solutions around eICs are already available. Countries have already started to make use of eICs in their national identification program where the true potential of eICs is.

    For example, Estonian Identity Card program is one of the earliest programs to make use of eICs to register its citizen. This innovation allows easy access to various public services and also secures the identity of the users.

    The VideoID, SmileID, and SignatureID solutions created by eID is another example of how to make the most of the technology to allow faster onboarding of customers by ensuring that the information provided is accurate and is not falsified.

    IDENTITY FUTURE

    Given how both software and hardware is taking over the world, it is certain that the future of identity is the body. Technology is going to make Microchip Implant a day to day activity. Certainly, this is going to be voluntary.

    It will be interesting to see the development and adoption of eICs. Given the digital world in the future, eICs will certainly take over traditional identity cards. The question is how soon.

    Many advanced eID based technological solutions will come out of innovative startups around the world. Creating businesses and solutions on top of the eIDs and eICs will also open up new market.

    With Work From Anywhere, the identity authentication is also going to be from anywhere with the help of Electronic ID (eID).

  • The Wireless Charging World

    The Wireless Charging World

    Photo by Lucian Alexe on Unsplash

    The major reason smart devices, mainly smartphones, are immensely useful is due to the portability they provide with the help of the battery management system. This allows consumers to make use of the device without direct supply for an extended period.

    Even though every new smart device is more efficient compared to the last concerning the power consumption and battery life, there are still gaps on the battery technology innovation side that have not kept up with the growing software and hardware demand.

    To tackle this critical gap, the industry is moving from wired to wireless charging solutions as it provides charging wire-free and aims to make it ubiquitous. The solution has gained traction in the smartphone domain where charging points are increasingly being switched to wireless hotspots than wired.

    By 2030, Wireless Charging Will Be $50 Billion Market

    The concept of wireless electricity is not new and has been in existence since 1900s. The major gap has been in adoption in the areas where there is need to have wireless charging solution to ensure consumers and businesses never run out of power.

    With the popularity of electric vehicles, it will be quite interesting to see what type of innovative solutions come out to provide hassle-free charging.

    WHY WIRELESS CHARGING

    With the growing demand to perform day to day activity on the go also means the power required to run the smart devices should be available any time. Most of the devices that reside at one location like smart cameras, smart sensors, and so on, can be hooked directly to the power outlet to draw electricity 24x7x365. This does not apply to the devices that have to be used remotely like smartphones, laptops, or an electric car.

    Though these devices can get hooked to the power outlet, but do suffer from the fundamental issue of requiring a different set of adapter for each of the devices.

    How useful will it be if the source or the adapter is capable of adapting the current and voltage requirement of the device so that one adapter device fits all?

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    This will not only drastically decrease the need to have different types of charging points and devices, but will also make the system smart by providing always-on charging capability. This adds one more ease of use layer on top of what is currently provided by the smart devices concerning compute and connectivity.

    In the end, the demand to use smart portable devices and solutions will not go down. The form factor may change, but the need will always be there. It is about time that the way these smart devices get powered also becomes smart, and wireless charging is the way to do it.

    IMPACT OF WIRELESS CHARGING

    Imaging a scenario where you have four different types of smart devices to charge, with each using different power adapter, and on top of this, there is only one power outlet to use. What do you do? The simple answer is charge as per the priority of the device that needs to be active for a critical task. Is this a smart way to charge smart devices in a smart world?

    Wireless Charging Is Not About Smart Devices But About Smart World

    If the answer is no, then certainly the way to power these devices should change. This can be with the use of Quick Charge technology, but it requires that the device is equipped with a specific System on Chip (SoC).

    Another important factor is that charging in the future will not be limited to consumer electronic smart devices only. The definition is going to extend to automotive and all the connected systems that will go wireless.

    The impact of wireless charging is huge not only from the market demand point of view but also on how much good change and impact it will have on the usage.

    Wireless charging will extend the life of using the device and will ensure that the smart systems never run out of the power. These always-on systems will make use of a smart sleeping mechanism to provide savings to businesses, industries, and consumers.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    Wireless charging will drive innovation by introducing solutions that are built on top of next-gen connectivity standard. The portability wireless charging will add will also ensure standardization by eliminating the need to have different types of adapters, cables, and power outlets.

    The opportunity and solutions around wireless charging are also going to drive faster adoption of an electric vehicle by providing more mileage without worrying about the stoppage to charge the car as roads and the nearby system itself can provide wireless charging solutions.

    The wireless charging system by default is COVID-19 compliant.

    WIRELESS CHARGING INNOVATION

    The innovation around wireless charging is going to be the key factor in faster adoption. There are already many interesting ideas that are out in the market that showcase the power of wireless charging.

    AiraPower’s FreePower technology shows how customized solution that provides multi-device wireless charging is going to change the day to day charging points at home, automotive, and business zones.

    Energous also showcases different possible ways wireless charging is going to be part of the daily life. It provides a unique approach to how the smart devices can draw energy wirelessly the moment the battery level goes down a specific threshold.

    Semiconductor companies have already started to provide solutions that can be deployed around the city to enable the charging of electric vehicles an enjoyable and more innovative. The current solution focuses on dedicated parking spots with wired cables that can be used by electric vehicles. Imagine parking the vehicle in a shopping mall and it charges using the wireless pads in the parking spot while one enjoys the shopping.

    All this leads to a true benefit when the electric vehicle cannot be refilled as fast as a fossil fuel-powered vehicle.

    These are a few of the many solutions out in the market. The next year or two more innovative and advanced approaches will show up with more smart devices starting to adopt wireless charging.

    FUTURE OF WIRELESS CHARGING

    It is important to understand the future of wireless charging. The current use cases are well defined, with more emphasis on smartphones than any other consumer electronics.

    Currently, the wireless solution is confined to specific locations like a couple of devices at home and in the workplace. Going forward, there are going to be three key areas which will see faster and exponential adoption this leading to the standardization of wireless charging solutions.

    These three domains are: automotive, home and work place.

    In automotive, the electric vehicles are going to adapt to the wireless charging more than any other solution. It will showcase the true potential of an inductive charging for high power devices like a motor car or a bus. China being one of the fastest-growing markets will lead the way in showcasing innovative approaches concerning wireless charging and electric vehicles.

    Picture By Chetan Arvind Patil

    For home, the solutions will move beyond smartphones to television and cooking appliances. The number of power outlets will decrease, and home buyers and renters will see how real estate will make use of wireless charging solutions to provide Over The Top (OTT) services. This may add cost to the buyers and renters, but will also see a balance by removing the need to have different types of power outlets and adapters.

    Workplace (including business and entertainment zones) will start adopting to the solutions whenever there is a gathering of employees or the number of visitors in a business zone is more than the number of power outlets. Such places will see more wireless charging stations that will not require cables and will only have pads that will act as charging points.

    This decade with advanced connectivity will demand always-on devices. This is going to push for the faster adoption of wireless charging. It will be interesting to see what other innovative use cases of wireless charging come up as adoption grows.