The comprehensive Deep Connected OTA Platform from Sibros helps commercial OEMs and fleets to optimise their resources and data. Rajesh Rajgor explores the Deep Connected Platform in this exclusive interaction with Shivalik Prasad, Vice President (Strategic Alliances and Sales), Sibros
We live in a time of change and the commercial truck market and fleet operations in India and worldwide are no exceptions. Over the next decade, these sectors will see brisk development. All countries are vying in the competition for software-defined transportation, a race that will dominate the automotive industry. India is investing heavily in logistics infrastructure. Manufacturers and operators of commercial vehicles will have to keep abreast of the shift to electric, autonomous, connected vehicles with their advanced technological possibilities. Opines Shivalik Prasad, Vice President (Strategic Alliances and Sales), Sibros: “The velocity of the development may render the question where a nation currently stands secondary. Primary is the will to change and quickly adapt to the new reality.”
OTA and Vehicle Data Management
More software and electronic hardware in vehicles mean an exponentially growing volume of data. Over-the-air data management with Sibros encompasses all aspects of the interaction with vehicle software and data at rest and in transit: software updates to all electronic control units (ECUs), data collection from all ECUs and remote commands to any ECU. Sibros’ solution is hardware-agnostic, with embedded firmware validated to run on all major telematics control units and gateway platforms and combinations. Data from vehicles can be logged with complex conditions and based on triggers and events to subsequently be uploaded in the cloud, displayed and analysed.
Shivalik Prasad adds, “With its Deep Connected Platform, Sibros provides massive and essential value for the software-defined vehicle by paving the path to real-time, real-world data, thereby creating a digital twin of the vehicle.” In the commercial vehicle industry worldwide, there is some hesitation when it comes to certain aspects of software and OTA, as for example, monitoring options. While such considerations have to be taken seriously, every region and industry will have to find their own solutions.” Prasad challenges sceptics, saying, “History shows that many automotive improvements were argued over at the time of their introduction. Classic examples are seat belts and helmets.”
“However, innovations have improved the safety on the streets, helped performance and made the tough job of commercial drivers easier,” he adds. Modern driver assistance systems will pave this path farther and there will be a tipping point of clear awareness that data and OTA are a major step forward, if not a game-changer, for the entire industry. For drivers and logistics workers this means a less risky and less taxing workplace when they are prepared to upskill. For the industry, which is facing a global shortage of drivers, it means training its workforce and, among a plethora of positive consequences, less downtime and optimised costs.
Hardware Agnostic and Wide Use Case
Among the use cases that will become very attractive, if not crucial, for OEMs and operators, are the following:
• Rapid prototyping to perform remote validation and testing for fast beta bring up and prototypes
• Paid feature upgrades to improve individual vehicles or an entire fleet if the need arises
• Health monitoring with diagnostics and ultimately true preventive maintenance
• Recharge scheduling for EVs and extension of the range through optimisation
• Usage-based insurance.
According to Shivalik, “Sibros is here to help any commercial vehicle OEM. As a company, we provide a product that is highly modular and flexible, comprehensive, integrated, and apt for any vehicle architecture. The Deep Connected Platform is Software as a Service (SaaS) solution for fast integration that does not only reduce program risk, but allows every customer to profit from the experiences and improvements that are derived from the work with all customers. Further, there are no surprise elements of cost. All our customers know upfront exactly what they are getting and what they are paying for.”
To give an example, Sibros has enabled a unique Truck-as-a-Service business model for a European manufacturer of the world’s first 16-tonne all-electric freightliner, with an ambitious goal of zero downtime for production vehicles. To this end, OTA Deep Logger and Updater embedded components were deployed and preproduction and production cloud environments set up. Command Manager serves for remote safety critical functionalities. The result is real-time ECU data support connected fleet diagnostics and insights.
Sibros products are not only agnostic of the in-vehicle hardware, but of the power-train as well. Sibros works with OEMs of all kinds, be it an electric or combustion engine passenger car, a high-mileage tractor-trailer with a hydrogen fuel cell, a heavy construction vehicle powered by a hydrogen ICE, or a boat with any given propulsion. All these will be connected vehicles soon, with numerous electronic units in them. OEMs and suppliers define the problems and Sibros’ products solve them.
Shivalik mentions the instance of the largest North American e-bike operator. “Sibros contributed to the connected experience by reducing the traffic of CAN data logging to save cost and enable remote monitoring of battery data, remote software updates and upgrades, and usage classification.” The fleet can now collect targeted, high-quality data and granular data with dynamically configurable signals and event triggers for faster root cause analysis. Solution highlights are superior data compression, a faster debugging tool, real-time selective data logging, and reduction of cloud compute and cellular costs by 60%.
Redefining the Future of Transportation
Sibros was founded in 2018 by cousins Hemant and Mayank Sikaria in the belief that automotive OTA will redefine the future of transportation. With headquarters in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, and a main office in Pune, a hub of the Indian automotive industry, the rapidly growing startup has a headcount of 100+ and additional offices in Detroit, Atlanta and Munich. The company recently concluded series B funding of USD 70 million. Sibros’ leadership brings in decades of combined experience from companies like Tesla, Waymo, Faraday Future and Uber. Sibros’ target is to further the software defined vehicle and enable Transportation 2.0 and in the future Transportation 3.0. “The connected vehicle means a once-in-a-century change for the entire automotive industry. For the commercial automotive sector, enormous potential is created. Optimisation of operations, added value and new services, and improved safety on the road are major opportunities nobody can afford to miss,” concludes Shivalik.
Sibros will exhibit at Auto Expo 2023 and interested OEMs may visit the company booth and discuss ways of possible collaboration.