Conti AutoLinQ Takes Cars Online

The debate on exactly what automotive components and add-ons belong in the “accessories” section of T&A has been raging since June 1946, and to perfectly honest it may continue to be discussed over morning coffee for many years to come. With any luck these caffeine-fuelled conversations will err in favour of a new development from Continental AG, the AutoLinQ. This hardware and software solution from the company’s Interior division achieves the far from insignificant feat of taking the humble motorcar online.

Conti poses a hypothetical scenario: You have flown off on vacation and are sitting in the sun, and suddenly something pops into your head…“Did I shut my car window?” If you didn’t, all you can do is hope that a burglar or vandal doesn’t notice the open window and that your car is still where you left it upon your return home. Such fingers crossed blind hope was often indeed the only option available before the advent of the AutoLinQ, through which a car’s owner can control and operate his or her car from afar via mobile phone or computer. To address the abovementioned dilemma, the holidaymaker could simply enter the command “close window” by mobile phone, while at the same time checking to see whether the car is still in its parking space – and then sit back and relax.

But AutoLinQ provides much more, adds Continental, as the motorist is “Always On” when on the go: In the car, a driver can operate the system by voice so his or her hands don’t have to leave the wheel. While on the road, webcam images of the planned route, appointment organisers, music files or videos can be downloaded. From the comfort of his or her own living room a car owner will be able to check fuel tank levels, battery charge or tyre pressure via computer. It will even be possible to adjust the stiffness of the shock absorber via the home desktop or by laptop.

“Thanks to DSL, it is now nearly standard that the home PC has a permanent Internet connection,” says engineer Herbert Halamek, a member of the think tank behind the AutoLinQ technology. “And this is something we would like to have as well in the car. The big difference here is that in the car, the focus is not on constant browsing. Instead, Continental has its sights on practical driving and comfort functions.” These functions include webcam images of the traffic load on the planned route, and what is called a ‘buddy function’. With this function, the driver can determine where friends are currently located on a road map in the car through the use of his or her infotainment system networked with other online services. The driver can call them directly and drive the shortest route to where they are, making use of current traffic information.

According to Continental, AutoLinQ could go into series production in some two to three years.