Qualcomm’s technology supports the evolution from a hardware-based industry to a software-defined industry. By Megan Lampinen
Qualcomm’s push for automobiles is gaining momentum as the industry spins its digital journey. The company’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis Cloud connected automotive platform is rapidly establishing its industry standard, using hundreds of millions of vehicles on today’s roads. Acting as building blocks for connected, automated functions, these are designed to address the evolution of vehicles from hardware-defined products to software-defined products.
“This really redefines modern automobiles,” says Nakul Dagal, general manager of Qualcomm’s automotive business.
Digital Lifestyle
Duggal has been with Qualcomm since the 1990s and helped guide its evolution into the automobile. The company, best known for its mobile chipsets, is also active in computing and IoT. With the shift to software-defined vehicles (SDVs), cars are ready to play an increasingly important role. Qualcomm currently has a US$45 billion car order pipeline, and we hope that by 2029 its automotive business will generate revenue of US$8 billion.
As Duggal tells Automotive World, it’s about predicting industry trends. With more complex technologies integrated into the vehicle, cars are moving towards centralized computing architectures. This means greater integration. Vehicles are increasingly defined through software. The beauty of this is that the design is constantly updated over the life of the vehicle. ”
To drive this trend is a move to incorporate vehicles into the digital lifestyle of consumers. Seamless integration with smartphones, wearable devices and connected home technologies is not only desired and expected in new vehicles. “From a consumer perspective, cars are an extension of our digital life,” Duggal said. “We spend a lot of time in the car. People want to carry out normal activities there, get the job done and make memories. They don’t want it to be a valuable asset. That’s why the digital aspect is becoming more and more important.”
A large part of Qualcomm’s focus is on understanding exactly what consumers want in their cars and making them possible. The company is currently working closely with its automotive partners on this. “Part of the challenge is that the automotive industry has traditionally not thought of cars like this,” he says. “Products are beginning to evolve, and everyone is trying to understand what that means. Some automakers are adapting very quickly, while others are more progressive paths. It’s in, but there’s a change happening.”
AI excitement builds up
Rather than delivering a digital experience, Qualcomm offers the foundation for automakers to build brand-specific UX products. Snapdragon Digital Chassis includes the cockpit platform, Kurtzburi beetle, auto-connect, ride platform, and the recently added cockpit elite and ride elite. These two latest additions, each targeting advanced digital experiences and autonomous driving capabilities, are designed to drive the industry’s transition to SDV.
“We build software that can be developed in the cloud and deployed continuously at the edge,” explains Duggal. “When someone thinks of new features, they test it in the cloud and push updates, just like what happens on a laptop computer.”
Google is just one of the technology partners Qualcomm is working on to make it easier for automakers to meet SDV requirements. In October 2024, the two companies announced a new collaboration, bringing together Snapdragon Digital Chassis, Android Automotive OS and Google Cloud technologies to create a new standardized reference platform for AI-powered cockpit solutions.
Qualcomm has established itself as a connected computing company in a new era of AI processing. Our partnership with Google aims to deploy Google AI to create an in-car experience based on Generated AI (Genai), a form of AI that can generate content based on input. This allows for the form of intuitive voice assistants, immersive map experiences, real-time updates to predict driver needs, and more. All of this is powered by Snapdragon’s uneven edge AI system-on-chip.
“I’m extremely excited about AI,” Duggal is excited. “It’s a very valuable tool. Over the last year, developments within Genai allowed humans to consume the information the machines produce.” As an example, he said, “How to change tires.” It points out how to provide a car with simple commands such as “please.” AI takes context into consideration and knows what kind of car a person refers to. You can then search the car’s user manual and intelligently provide the exact information requested. Features like this represent a major step away from simply providing a list of search results.
Connect data to actions
This is just the tip of the iceberg with AI capabilities inside the vehicle. “You’re connecting your data to information and actions,” Duggal says.
Imagine a hot day when two individuals sit in the car for a certain period of time. The car can detect its presence, high temperatures inside and outside, and the fact that it is sitting there for a few minutes. “The obvious thing about ‘what potential behaviors can be provided to people sitting inside’ is to suggest lowering the temperature of the cabin.
“All of these are very possible once you start connecting dots, but that’s not how cars have traditionally been designed,” Duggal says. This is a level of fundamental complexity within the automotive sector, especially compared to other software-defined products such as mobile phones and computers. “The phone is Android or Apple. Your computer can be a Mac or PC. However, there are hundreds of car platforms. Time passes as all car manufacturers want to create their own branded imprints. There will be a variety of players to come together.”
The industry is also facing a lack of skills. “The right type of skill set is not enough for automakers. This shapes what a company is doing internally and it relies on others,” Duggal said. Masu. Many have turned their attention to Qualcomm on their Greater automotive information and their journey to SDV. In fact, CEO Christian Amon claims that digital chassis can be found on vehicles from “virtually every car manufacturer.”
As Duggal concludes, “Given the technology is changing and the pace at which automakers are thinking about new experiences, the platform is hoping to see what’s coming for both autonomous driving and digital cars.” Establish. “As everything goes into planning, over the next few years, Snapdragon will ignite new digital experiences and features in the transition to the future of software-defined.
