Sensor networks on the car: State of the art and future challenges

Modern cars are equipped with hundreds of sensors, not only used in the traditional powertrain, chassis, and body areas, but also in more advanced applications related to multimedia, infotainment, and x-by-wire systems. Such a big quantity of sensing elements require a particular attention in the design phase of the in-vehicle communication networks. This paper provides an overview of the most commonly used automotive sensors and describes the traditional networks nowadays used to collect their measurements. Moreover, it considers some possible alternative solutions that could be used in the future to have a single uniform network as asked by the automotive industry in order to reduce weight, space, and cost of the communication system.