Blockchain: The Future of Automotive Connectivity
As the vehicle becomes more connected to the internet of things security is becoming more of a concern for the vehicles on the road. From the ADAS system communicating with infrastructure to the autonomous vehicle communicating with the other vehicles on the road, security is vital to maintaining control of these vehicles as they operate on the roadway. To increase the security of this communication some automotive communication protocols are utilizing Blockchain technology to create unique security parameters. Blockchain is the underpinning of a lot of crypto currencies and other critical information to make sure that it is secure and legitimate information. This software protocol structure protects the information that flies and migrates from machine to machine to allow information transfer in the most secure way possible.
What is Blockchain?
Blockchain is a distributed and decentralized digital ledger technology that records transactions across many computers in a way that ensures the data cannot be altered retroactively. It operates on a peer-to-peer network, with each participant (or node) having access to the entire ledger. The decentralization operates independently of any one entity which provides a very transparent transaction for the two parties (Shuvo, 2023). This validation by consensus provides for highly immutable evidence that each party is who they say they are.
The way a blockchain is created is a string of software language that adds blocks to the chain as information is created. This created chain is then put into the open-source ledger so that it is public and visible to everyone. The unique chain that is created within this infrastructure will allow all the people receiving or sending the information to validate the participants in the transaction. This transaction can be something simple as indicating a number of bitcoin transactions to ordering material through a supplier’s website, information validity is vital to the movement of business.
Securely communicating between two nodes helps to keep the vehicle and the people inside safe from traffic incidents, thefts and other things that are out to harm you in the real world. Consensus protocol is the key to all blockchain communications and validations (Khan et al., 2023). Using independent validators to create that trust matrix for the sender and the receiver will virtually eliminate the possibility of a cyber security intervention within the system. Open sourcing the code and ledger is what makes this a secure platform to operate on and allows for greater rigidity of the entire platform.
Automotive Applications of Blockchain
As the software defined vehicle takes over the automotive industry, the exchange of information is increasing at an accelerated rate. The privacy and security of the data that is being transmitted on the roadway between vehicles and infrastructure, must be secured so that nefarious characters do not have access to manipulate the information. With the advanced “block and chain” format of blockchain, the ability to fake or change the data in route is next to impossible to accomplish (Fraga-Lamas & Fernández-Caramés, 2019). With autonomy starting to take hold within the automotive industry, there is a need for secure communication protocols to prevent others from taking control of vehicles when they are in autonomous mode and navigating with GPS throughout the world.
Along with operations of the vehicle, the need to track vehicle performance metrics, ownership, access, and maintenance is also important. Identity management is vital to making sure the vehicle is identified correctly and can identify other vehicles properly. Understanding what is coming at you or what you’re turning into will provide for a better operational environment on the roadway. Connectivity throughout the automotive roadway will be vital when building the connected world. Blockchain is not just used within the vehicle, it is also utilized throughout the supply chain in the automotive ecosystem. From dealerships collecting information about your vehicle’s service needs to connecting your data with the marketing department, blockchain provides security for all of those functions. A totally integrated vehicle experience from delivery to service to decommissioning the vehicle provides for a complete life cycle.
Conclusion
The need for a secure communication and operational protocols provides a safer vehicle for consumer operation. The integration of more technology throughout the automotive ecosystem requires a more secure connection to the rest of the internet. Increasing the rate and speed of data transfer requires quick decrypting and encrypting of this information to keep it secure. Blockchain provides the medium for the connected nodes to quickly and securely understand the information that is traveling on the network. Keeping the vehicle headed the right way on the roadway, limiting the ability of others to access the vehicle that do not own the vehicle and keeping the other components of the connected system operating, provides the driver with a vital connection throughout the world. Technicians of today and tomorrow must understand how these pieces intermingle throughout the automotive ecosystem when diagnosing a fault. A combination of mechanical, electrical, computer and software knowledge are required by the technician working on the latest vehicles. Those that do not continue to advance their skillsets to include these skills will be left behind as the industry moves forward.
The MAST series of CDX provides the instructor pointed material to exceed the requirements of any ASE training currently on the market. Utilizing the Read-See-Do model throughout the series, the student has various learning modalities present throughout the products which allows them to pick the way they learn the best. From developing simulations on cutting edge topics to providing a depth of automotive technical background, CDX has a commitment to making sure instructors and students have the relevant training material to further hone their skill sets within the mechanical, electrical and software driven repair industry. CDX Learning Systems offers a growing library of automotive content that brings highly technical content to the classroom to keep you and your students up to date on what is currently happening within the Mobility Industry.
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References
Fraga-Lamas, P., & Fernández-Caramés, T. M. (2019). A Review on Blockchain Technologies for an Advanced and Cyber-Resilient Automotive Industry. IEEE Access, 7, 17578–17598. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2895302
Khan, K., Hassan, F., Koo, J., Mohammed, M. A., Hasan, Y., Shamsheela, Muhammad, D., Chowdhry, B. S., & Qureshi, N. M. F. (2023). Blockchain-based applications and energy effective electric vehicle charging – A systematic literature review, challenges, comparative analysis and opportunities. Computers and Electrical Engineering, 112, 108959. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compeleceng.2023.108959
Shuvo, M. (2023, November 14). Blockchain in Automotive Industry – 5 Real-world Examples. Core Devs. https://coredevsltd.com/articles/blockchain-in-automotive-industry/
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About the Author
Nicholas Goodnight, PhD is an ASE Master Certified Automotive and Truck Technician and an Instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, he brings his passion and expertise to teaching college students the workplace skills they need on the job. For the last several years, Dr. Goodnight has taught in his local community of Fort Wayne and enjoys helping others succeed in their desire to become automotive technicians.