Embedded computers have long established their role in commercial and industrial processes, from complex applications like automated manufacturing to powering simple smart kiosks. But what about the automotive industry?

In-vehicle systems are nothing new either, but they used to be very limited in their scope, being installed in very few types of vehicles. But now, embedded systems have become capable of doing a lot for automobiles, and are becoming the standard, both for commercial and personal vehicles. But what exactly do embedded automotive systems do? And why are they on the rise?

The Push for Safety

For a long time, automotive standards were rather lax, with manufacturers allowed to get away with a lot of cost-cutting. But countries across the world are waking up and enforcing stringent safety requirements that require more complex electronic systems to regulate the various functions of the vehicle.
Features like ABS and ESC are now being mandatorily required, with many more advanced safety features also being implemented. A big part is rising consumer awareness as well, driving automotive manufacturers to naturally move toward better safety features to improve sales.

The Basics

The simplest and most famous of these electronic safety systems is the Anti-Lock Braking System, or the ABS. What it does is to prevent the wheels from locking up during a hard brake, preventing the vehicle from skidding uncontrollably. This sounds like a simple thing, but requires a rather complex mechanism to achieve; sensors keep track of the status of the wheels, and when they lose grip due to a sudden brake, they trigger a hydraulic control unit to pump the brake drums to restore the grip again.

The second common and now often mandatory electronic safety feature is Electronic Stability Control or ESC. In a way, it is an extension of the ABS system, helping prevent the vehicle from skidding. ESC comes into play when there is a mismatch between the front and the rear wheels, causing one pair to lose traction. The grip is restored with a similar mechanism to the ABS, taking over even without any hard braking involved.

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)

A newer feature is the Advanced Driver Assistance System or ADAS. This is a complex framework that requires implementation throughout all systems of a vehicle, with one singular purpose – to make it smarter. A slew of sensors and electronic interfaces observe and control various parameters, letting the driver make informed decisions, or even automatically adjusting things to prevent incidents without human input.

A byproduct of the race for self-driving vehicles, ADAS was developed to automate some critical functions of the car, letting the driver focus on overall driving while still being safeguarded from smaller errors. And at the heart of these complex systems are powerful embedded systems that can crunch all the sensor data and take split-second decisions.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), for example, is a part of ADAS that automatically manages the speed of the vehicle to keep a safe distance in traffic. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), on the other hand, can apply the brakes when an imminent collision is detected, responding faster than human reflexes.

Then there are the warning systems that work alongside the driver. Blind Spot Detection (BSD) warns the driver of any vehicle coming up in a blind spot, while Cross-Traffic Alert (CTA) informs the driver of approaching vehicles while reversing. Some ADAS systems are even capable of recognizing traffic signs through image processing of a camera feed, helping the driver understand the relevant warnings more easily.

A Blip or a New Standard?

It is undeniable that the increased interest in autonomous driving technologies comes from the interest in self-driving cars. But while self-driving technology has hit many roadblocks, the electrification and digitization of vehicles continues unabated.

Electric cars themselves are on the rise, and even for traditional engines, there is a push to make the vehicle’s systems smarter with embedded technologies. As the systems improve and more functions can be automated, adoption will only rise.

And that’s before we talk about the role of embedded automotive systems for infotainment and organization, as fleets of commercial vehicles use computers to properly manage routes and respond to breakdowns quickly. Whichever way you look at it, embedded systems are becoming more and more prevalent in vehicles, and this is not a temporary measure.