We collect not only information for safe and comfortable driving, but also a variety of other information, such as movies, music and tourist information about the destination. To carry such a variety of information, the vehicle is equipped with an average of 10 km of cable and hundreds of connectors.
Infotainment systems, which provide drivers with a variety of information in the cabin space, are no longer a function to be installed only in luxury cars and have become indispensable as standard equipment for modern cars. Vehicles function as moving offices as well as entertainment spaces: to make such multipurpose cabin spaces more useful and comfortable, infotainment systems are now able to interact with external systems and clouds through mobile communications, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth - and other means - and can exchange a variety of information with each other.
Infotainment systems will become increasingly diverse as MaaS (Mobility as a Service), allowing fully automated driving and transportation services becomes widely available. When fully automated operation is realized and the driver is released from operation, the car will utilize this function to ensure travel time is spent in a highly productive and/or entertaining manner. With this, MaaS companies will strive to equip vehicles with flexible functions that deliver a highly efficient and comfortable overall travel experience.
In vehicles of the near future, the importance of infotainment systems will increase with the ability to handle diverse and large amounts of information. There is no doubt that automotive communication systems will require even higher speeds and larger capacities. To ensure that valuable actionable information is transmitted efficiently and reliably to the cabin space, connectors will be required to further improve performance and reliability.
