Seemingly embedded electronics is becoming more visible in the present-day scenario. We see the race for embedded electronics gaining huge traction in the automotive space and the hunger for use of such electronics is steadily making its way up the value chain. 

At the same time, other verticals hungry for use of electronics are seen in the areas of medicine, which use electronics in medical instruments even at an end-user level. It is widely known that electronics is used to guage blood pressure equipment and consumer durables as well.

Automotive alerts

The use of embedded electronics in the automotive space is seen making news, specially in the four wheeler cars segments.

Sensing the huge potential for embedded electronic based on form factors, such as fuel efficiency, safety measures, entertainment in cars, chip makers, RTOS providers and software companies make a jump in this space. For instance, as we are driving a car, an indicator throws up to inform us of the threat of a car coming ahead near the curve.

Or, when a car is closer to a pothole or the controlling of transport management — all these can be successfully managed by the use of such electronics.

Traditional safety measures in cars like that of safety air bags is a passive safety measure. This is moving to a new scale called active or futuristic safety mechanisms, such as the use of ultra sonic sensors — taking the use for electronics, to a new ground.

Infotainment fuelling

Infotainment fuelling is the new term used in the industry — cars that provide entertainment as we travel. With electronic chips deployed in cars, emailing, download of music files is enabled. This facilitates communication between cars, car to office, car to home. 

Speaking at the recently concluded conference Embed Asia 2007, Bangalore, Somashekar VP CREST, KPIT Cummins, an IT services company highlighted the need and potential of use of embedded electronics, in the automotive space, and how communication can be integrated inside the car and its utilities thereby offered. 

Hurdles in deployment

Yet, challenging issues facing the industry remain. Developing standards, power management, signal interference still would hold the key, to propel the deployments of such innovative electronics, in the automotive domain.
In yet another conference, at the recently concluded Freescale Developer Forum 2007, held at Bangalore, the products, showcased represented the fact that it was embedded electronics all the way. 

FDF 2007 showcased very interesting products that may just see itself, at the home front soon.
A product that was showcased was a robot which was capable of performing aerobics, seeing by which, any end user can repeat such steps, to perform aerobics exercises. 

Another product was a vacuum cleaner, which had the ability to cleanse dusted particles. Another was the wet version of the same.

Freescale chips

These products featured Freescale electronic chips, capable of executing such tasks. 
Summing up, the push for embedded electronics looks promising, with the automotive sector looking eager to have embedded electronics, not only limited to cars, but also see the push in two wheeler segments as well.  
Given this is the age of convergence, and technology becoming more inter-disciplinary, we may see more electronics getting embedded into various sectors and companies are there to facilitate this change.