The newly-released Auto Innovation Report identifies the companies leading the way in innovation, and the segments which have grown the fastest over the last five years.
The report explores the hot topic areas of interest, studying the technologies and companies that are filing patents today on the new features that drivers will buy in their vehicles tomorrow.
Other key findings from the report:
- The automotive industry has experienced a period of consistent high growth in the number of innovations filed around the world over recent years.
- Today, innovation related to alternative powered vehicles, navigation systems, and safety top the list of automotive technology improvements.
- The main driver for technology development in the automotive industry is investment in propulsion systems.
- Hyundai has increased its rate of patent filing dramatically, and based on 2014 projections could actually end up with more patent publications in 2014 than any other automotive company.
Innovations likely to be unveiled in the near future:
- Telematics: This area involves integrating GPS, computer and mobile technology to enable cars to communicate with each other on the road.
- Driver assistance: Various systems such as auto braking, late departure warning and traffic sign recognition would help the driver avoid road hazards. Bosch is the clear leader in this field with the most filings and the most rapid, recent increases in patent publications. European companies, including Volkswagen, Continental, Audi and BMW, dominate this area.
- Autonomous driving: Recent advances demonstrate the future of autonomous driving may be closer than previously thought. While Google grabs the headlines in autonomous driving, it’s Toyota, GM and Hyundai that have the most filings.
- Heads up display: The idea of HUDs’ ability to allow operators to keep their eyes forward while interacting with information from the outside world has seen by far the most rapid, recent growth in patent publications. This topic is also led by non-automotive companies with four of the top five companies coming from outside the traditional automotive field.
The report contextualizes these innovations to show the profound shifts occurring in the automobile industry as it transitions from a primarily mechanical-based industry to software-based.