Evolution of new varieties of networks
Already we have: WANs (Wide Area), MANs
(Metropolitan Area), LANs (Local Area Networks)
VANs = Vehicle Area Networks
- Already used in aircraft (and some (primarily U.S. military) ships):
- fly by wire (now often fly by fibre) - to decrease weight and costs
- to improve reliability (especially WRT accidents or damage)
- several new aircraft even provide network access to passengers - not just "personal" video or audio programs,
but telephone and data networking to the passengers seat)
- Will you have real-time access to information about the plane?
- Will the pilot be playing DOOM along with the passengers?
- to decrease weight and costs
- Starting to appear in cars and trucks
- 70,000 United Parcel trucks have cellular modems which connect automatically to the driver's clipboard
- to decrease weight, cost, ...
- to improve functionality via embedded microprocessors (everywhere)
- Where are passengers going if telecommunting and teleconferencing are really successful?
- Travel for pleasure may replace travel for business as the major revenue source for airlines
- Will there still be the large market for company cars [roughly 1/2 of all Volvos sold in Sweden!]?
- What kinds of new vehicles will emerge?
