Scanning the Issue

When we proposed this special issue on the automobile to the Proceedings editorial board, the feedback we received was indeed quite revealing what the automobile has to become today. It is indeed a system, complete in many respects with complex controls, communications and computing environment. On the other hand, the automobile today is but a component in an increasingly information rich roadway infrastructure. Any meaningful review of the growth of electronic driven intelligence in the automobile, therefore, had to be placed in the context of the growth in intelligence in the larger transportation system. The collection of papers that have been selected for this special issue, cover a range of topics that review advancements in automobiles both as Bmove alone[ systems and as Bconnected[ components in a broader intelligent transportation system (ITS). The papers span a number of interdependent themes that include: architecture; systems; controls & communications, computing and embedded computers, safety, and intelligent vehicles. Even with the breadth of papers in this issue, we realize that there are a number of topics that are not included. Therefore, to ensure general coverage and, as a prolog to this special issue, we have dedicated the first article under the auspices of BScanning the Technology.[ This introductory article mainly overviews the progress of electrical, electronics, software, and other relevant technologies that shape the modern automobile. Some of these technologies are described in more detail in the articles that comprise this special issue. Following this introductory article by the guest editors, the first invited paper is entitled BControl, Computing and Communications: Technologies for the Twenty-first Century Model T.[ This paper, which is presented by Cook, Kolmanovsky, McNamara, Nelson, and Prasad provides a comprehensive systems review of modern automobiles. The major underlying sub-systemsVpowertrain, chassis electronics, body electronics, infotainmentVand their vehicle-level interactions to deliver the safety, drivability, fuel-economy, tail-pipe emissions, and entertainment features are described in terms of the affect of recent advancements in the fields of electronics controls, communications and computing, including software. The paper also includes an overview of a combined vehicle and off-vehicle infrastructure that will define a large part of the personal mobility experience of tomorrow. As software-based functionality is at the root of various challenges in automotive industries, the next paper is entirely dedicated to the issue of software engineering aspects of automotive technology. This paper, authored by Broy, Krüger, Pretschner, and Salzmann, presents the role of computing, communications, and control systems in delivering automotive functions that meet both regulatory and consumer demands. The paper also provides a valuable insight to the growth of software engineering This issue covers topics that reviewadvancements in automobiles both as independent, stand-alone systems and as Bconnected[ components which comprise a broader intelligent transportation system (ITS).