DX (Digital Transformation) through the Internet of Things, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data is on rise. Digitalization has taken a step forward in all aspects of business. Then what about cars?

Future cars will be controlled by integrating high-performance chips and software. A lot of effort is required to analyze, install, develop, inspect, and maintain the chip and software inside the car. In order to carry out these processes quickly and accurately, a more powerful strategy than the existing analog method is needed. This has raised the need for digital transformation. This means a change in the way humans deal with data.

LG Electronics is introducing digital transformation in the automotive components’ development process to improve product quality and accelerate the growth of its automotive business. LG Electronics researchers are utilizing an AI inspection platform developed in collaboration with the simulation specialized company, Altair, for the development of car components. Altair is a US-based business established in 1985 that develops customized software and solutions based on simulation, high-performance computing, AI, etc. The platform jointly developed by LG Electronics and Altair standardizes the measured data at a certain time, analyzes and learns data using artificial intelligence technology, and visualizes the results for easy viewing.

Using this platform, LG Electronics can make better automobile parts by predicting the performance of each stage from the early stage of development, such as analyzing customer requirements. It can also speed up development by automating performance verification and systematically manage the vast amount of simulation data generated during the development process. For example, previously if a customer requested a new part, the development was started out similarly based on previous experiences. Now, before starting development, it is possible to virtually predict the performance of multiple products in advance by using the AI platform and make reverse suggestions to customers, increasing satisfaction with the results. The data accumulated during the verification process is continuously learned to improve prediction accuracy. Afterwards, the data can be applied to various processes from planning to mass production to improve product performance and quality.

How are global car companies using DX for the development of cars? A famous North American electric vehicle company has been applying OTA* to all of its vehicles since 2014 and is steadily accumulating not only driving data but also data on the frequency of use of each part and battery performance. This is because based on the collected data, it is possible to know quickly and accurately how to change the battery combination, integrate parts, and remove unnecessary specifications. As vehicles can be developed more efficiently and required resources can be continuously reduced, the use of vehicle data is becoming more important for various fields and departments that develop cars.

*OTA: Over The Air, an update that wirelessly modifies, adds, or deletes the software built into the vehicle