Tuesday, 23 July 2019

Robocapps! The Future Of The Automotive Industry



1) First off, when you hear the term "Mobile Device", please.....
Think not what your Google Pixel 3 or iPhone 12 can do for you.
Think rather what you can do with your car - a less complex device that is mobile - by itself!

2) Think about how much more apt the term "mobile device" will be once cars start getting autonomous.

3) You have my permission to completely ignore what you hear from the mainstream media about what and what car manufacturers are the leaders in the race for autonomous driving cars.
Instead, think long and expansively about this: When cars can drive themselves, which of those car manufacturers is more likely to come up with the kind of killer applications that will grab the most customers?!

My name is Rotimi. But you may call me Rotex. 
This is going to be one of my shortest articles.
But it should pack a punch none the less. 

So what is the future of the Automotive Industry?

Is it going to be about
Self-Driving Cars?
Electric Cars?
Transportation As A Service?
Or about
truly Mobile Devices?

Capital YES!
It's all of the above!


So Digital Africa, my challenge to all of you is to start looking at cars as Mobile Devices. 
I had written about "mobile" devices in the past, so you can check that article out when you're done with this.

Honestly, a car is becoming no different from your iPad. Except that it will be able to do everything that your iPad will ever be able to do, and do many more things that your iPad can never do!

Start Coming Up With "Scenarios" Now!

A scenario could be: "Grocery Orchestrator" = an application that when launched, will send your car to go pick up your groceries and also order them for you by sending linked-data messages to the Semantic Web end point at a nearby Shoprite store. A human shop attendant could then be prompted to find your car in the parking lot and load it up with your items. Or perhaps a humanoid robot that understands RDF (the language of the Semantic Web) may also do this. 

My peeps, you have to start letting your minds dance around with various ideas that include self-driving cars and apps from now moving forward. Who knows? One of you might be the person to come up with the greatest robocapp of all time (lol @ GROAT). 

I have coined the term robocapp today. And it means an application that is developed for a robot car (or self-driving car), This application could also be built for a fleet of robot cars. Oh don't even get me started on this! 

I need you guys to take time out (maybe 30 minutes, maybe 2 hours) one night in a week. When you don't have electricity. When you have just finished praying about your future.
When you are feeling restless and cannot fall asleep. When you are taking a shower.
Get your imagination going and get ready for the future before it comes. But keep in mind that whether you do this or not, it will come!


Finally, and as usual, let me remind you to follow this Digital Africa blog for more of my ideas. If you would like to write articles and share your ideas with DigAfrica, let me know. Comment below!
If you would also like to join our DigAfrica group on Telegram, let me know as well.

For now, it's kwaheri from me!