Those of us who have worked in the automotive software business have long waited for the day when we would emerge from the shadow of our PC and Internet counterparts. When the public would finally come to appreciate our efforts and give us the acclamations we have long worked hard for and so rightly deserved!  Well, that was before the terms “unintended acceleration” and “drive-by-wire” entered the public lexicon. Now, most wish that all the extra attention would just disappear!

The real root cause of the recent Toyota issues may never be fully known.  The complexities of today’s modern automotive systems and operating environments make diagnosis extremely difficult to pinpoint. Few people have realized that today’s automobiles more closely resemble a complex computer network than they do the mechanical systems from 50 years ago!

So where do we go from here? How will the automotive industry and regulators act in the face of such public scrutiny? There are a lot of open ended challenges currently facing automotive software. Below is my own non-exhaustive list.

1. The lack of standard software platforms makes it difficult to compare systems. Each supplier or OEM develops their own internal platforms. This leads to duplication of efforts and costs. What does the future look like for a “real” standard OS platform such as AUTOSAR?
   
   
2. What are the trade-offs between software costs and quality? Where is the line drawn between profits and safety?
   
   
3. Are today’s automotive systems too complex?
   
   
4. Does the industry need more regulation?
   
   
5. Is more outside independent validation needed?
   
   
6. How do we open up vehicle systems to 3rd party app development while maintaining system safety and integrity?
   
   
7. What about the inevitability of software viruses affecting automotive systems?
   
   
8. How can vehicle software be updated more effectively? Is updating software one vehicle at a time using a laptop computer really the most efficient way?
   
   

What are your thoughts and opinions?  I’m just starting the conversation and look forward to hearing your thoughts.