DySCAS

The EU-funded project "Dynamically Self-Configuring Automotive Systems" (DySCAS) is coming to an end this month according to the project website. The project started in 2006 and has focused on life-cycle management of in-vehicle software. As the evolutionary cycle of in-vehicle technologies rapidly exceeds that of the vehicles themselves, upgrading and reconfiguring the software part of the system becomes more important.

An article over at just-auto.com gives a good overview of the project:

"Much as the software on a personal computer connects to the internet to download and install updates, the DySCAS architecture allows automotive software to automatically download patches and improvements whenever the vehicle is in range of an accessible wireless hotspot - in the owner's garage, for example, or even in a public parking lot. It could then download new maps for the navigation system, update the entertainment system to play new music formats, or even adjust engine timing based on more fuel efficient settings supplied by the manufacturer."

The project is a cooperation between partners such as Volvo Technology, Daimler, Bosch and the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology