14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft and Toyota have just signed a new partnership that’s supposed to bring more smart technology in vehicles produced by the Japanese manufacturer, but to also boost adoption of Redmond’s services among drivers.
As part of the partnership, Toyota has created a new company called Toyota Connected that will be specifically focused on “connected” cars powered by Microsoft technology.
Specifically, Toyota Connected vehicles will be based on Microsoft Azure and will attempt to connect driving technology “to people’s daily lives,” as the Redmond-based software giant explained today.
Zack Hicks, president and chief executive officer of Toyota Connected, has also provided us with a glimpse into some of the projects that his company could build together with Microsoft, including a smart steering wheel that would automatically monitor driver’s heartbeat and respiration to alert emergency services should any accident happen or simply refuse to start the engine if the alcohol lever is above a pre-determined threshold.
The driving seat could also turn into a scale, so the whole car would play the role of a wearable that offers health monitoring features.
“The car’s system might connect with other cars to learn that there’s traffic ahead, and then email the organizer of a driver’s intended meeting to let them know of the delay. And a check-engine warning could prompt the system to scan the customer’s and dealer’s schedules to suggest a good appointment time, and then book it, with the touch of a screen,” Hicks explained.
No distraction behind the wheel
The biggest challenge for the two companies is to implement all these technologies without overwhelming drivers, so they must be as less intrusive as possible.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft’s partnering with carmakers to bring its technology in cars and the company has already developed new systems that would bring Cortana or even Office in future vehicles. The original collaboration between Microsoft and Toyota started in 2011, while Redmond’s also working together with Ford and a few other carmakers on infotainment systems.
“People now care as much about their car’s computing power as its horsepower. So we’re working closely with carmakers, including this deep partnership with Toyota, to make automobiles more intelligent with sensors, screens, connectivity and vast networks of data that will help improve the whole driving experience,” Kurt DelBene, Microsoft’s executive vice president of corporate strategy and planning, explained.