Autonomous driving requires the addition of substantial hardware redundancy and fail-safe mechanisms in the event of a single point of failure that could inadvertently disable the autonomous driving system. System redundancy is critical because unexpected failures can lead to vehicle crashes if the driver is not aware or actively involved in the driving and steering process. However, these safety redundancies also add significantly to the weight and cost of the wiring harness.
AI in the vehicle can support facial recognition, computer vision and other machine learning algorithms to help personalize the user experience and vehicle settings by processing and “learning” incoming data. This requires the inclusion of countless cameras and other hardware throughout the vehicle. These cameras are often connected to electronic control units via coaxial or high-speed data cables, which are thicker, heavier and more expensive than traditional car wiring.