CES 2019 - RINSPEED MICROSNAP VEHICLE
New market entrants, startups and IT companies are redefining the way we approach transportation. This is a world of integrated, on-demand, personalized and autonomous mobility. Alongside such opportunity, we also find incredible challenges. How do we collaborate effectively to provide seamless mobility experience for the end consumers? Who will own and operate mobility assets such as autonomous vehicles, shared buses, charging infrastructure and commercial vehicles? How do we integrate data, payments and experiences? How can we orchestrate intelligent and sustainable last mile delivery in urban areas?
The 2019 microSNAP project addresses the challenges of the new mobility ecosystem supported by intelligent software solutions from SAP. Think micro, yet mighty: autonomous micro transportation units create a unique possibility to fulfill the mobility and transportation needs in urban areas; to orchestrate the intelligent mobility ecosystem SAP provides ‘mighty’ solutions for mobility, transportation and supply chain management optimized by IoT, blockchain, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
COLLABORATION
Sustainable mobility will rely on complex and highly interconnected value networks. These include physical and digital platforms, which will be operated and used by a multitude of players from several industries. A blockchain network can process business transactions using smart contracts providing security, transparency and efficiency for all ecosystem participants. The microSNAP demonstrates what is possible when stakeholders such as Rinspeed, SAP and others join forces to deliver an unprecedented mobility solution. Powered by data, shaped by design and brought alive by business, the SNAP family of vehicles define the future of mobility.
THE POWER OF AN INDEPENDENT PLATFORM
In the connected future, users, vehicles and the infrastructure will generate vast quantities of valuable data. Monetization of this information through new business models will unlock significant revenue streams for all participants of the interconnected mobility network. A mobility data platform manages and orchestrates data from consumers, auto manufacturers and service providers. A mobility business network enables parties to seamlessly interact and transact on a trusted marketplace made possible by SAP’s technical and business expertise.
SMART CITIES AND INTELLIGENT MOBILITY
A smart city, in combination with smart mobility, offers residents, visitors and stakeholders a quality of life and an ease of experience that pre-emptively addresses their needs, desires and transport requirements. If a smart city can so be equated with a human, smart mobility is a city’s circulatory system.The smart city leverages data and connectivity to enrich the lives of its residents. The residents no longer own vehicles in the smart city – especially when parking space is increasingly becoming scarce in urban settings. Intelligent mobility solutions offer flexibility and sustainability by compiling different mobility services, including flexible car- and ride-sharing and other on-demand services. End-to-end mobility solutions will cover every customer desire from planning to booking and payment.
The SNAP was designed to be a vital component of such smart cities. Given its modular design and high degree of connectivity and integration into an urban space’s data lattice, a fleet of SNAPs can provide everything from mobility services to new approaches in medical services, energy management, entertainment and many more.
INTELLIGENT LAST MILE DELIVERY
As consumers increasingly turn to e-commerce for all their shopping needs, speedy fulfillment isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s the expectation of every online shopping experience. As a result, businesses are developing new technologies and intelligent supply chain models to increase parcel volume, expedite deliveries, and delight customers — all while creating sustainable and convenient delivery models. Taking advantage of our intelligent supply chain solutions we revolutionize last mile delivery in urban areas: Creating delivery and distribution hubs in strategic locations across the city and connecting these via automated routes in underground tunnels. Packages will arrive via the underground tunnels to dedicated distribution hubs and will be delivered to their final destination via microSNAPs, drones or bicycle couriers.
SNAP AND BEYOND
The SNAP concept illustrates the art of the possible for the mobility of tomorrow. But the revolution will extend far beyond the vehicle. New means of mobility will inspire new ways of consuming transport. New kinds of connectivity will drive simpler logistics, cleaner energy, smarter cities, higher quality of life: a mobility ecosystem of connectedness and capability.
With SAP’s end-to-end portfolio of products and technology innovations, we can deliver on this vision through a new generation of intelligent business processes and business models.
HOW SAP AND THE RINSPEED SNAP ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AUTOMOTIVE
The future is closer than you think. Driven by powerful advances in technology, the automotive sector will be fundamentally transformed over the coming decade. This revolution presents ambitious organizations an unparalleled opportunity to invent or reinvent their business models and seize the future.
What would a car built with that forward-looking mindset look like? Working closely with Rinspeed, an award-winning Swiss automotive designer, and other partners, SAP has helped bring the Rinspeed SNAP vehicle to life. The SNAP opens a window to the future by showcasing the possibilities of the new mobility revolution.
The Case For CASE
Four mega-trends are shaping this new reality, says SAP’s Stefan Krauss. Cars will become more Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electrified (CASE). In such a world, the frustrations of your morning commute will be a distant memory. For example, at the touch of your smart phone, your subscription-based, self-driving electric vehicle will arrive at your door and whisk you away to work. You will arrive on time as your car intelligently navigates through morning traffic avoiding any delays. During your commute you will have time to relax, take advantage of various personalized service offerings and arrive prepared for your day.
The sensors and data that make such a mobility experience possible have a far-reaching impact on business and the cities and towns we call home. Shared fleets of these smart electric vehicles, communicating and coordinating their movements through advanced sensors and mobility networks, allow us to imagine a new world of commerce. The vehicle will no longer just be an instrument of moving from point A to point B. It will become a place where consumers experience new convenient, personalized services on the go. Every industry from entertainment to healthcare can unlock new revenue streams in the CASE world. Moreover, thanks to the optimized and automated mobility services, our cities will become cleaner, safer and less chaotic.
The SNAP concept vehicle demonstrates what is possible when organizations work together in deep and imaginative ways. It represents an innovative, modular approach to CASE while mirroring SAP’s vision for digital transformation in the automotive industry and beyond. Indeed, the SNAP reaffirms our vision for cross-industry collaboration in the world of advanced mobility.
The pod itself represents a triumph in customization. The SNAP can be anything and cover all aspects of mobility service operations: from a spacious comfortable shuttle, gourmet food pod, office pod, or even a doctor’s pod. While the pods can be used as stationary units, the chassis (the skateboard) can be separated to service multiple pods and optimize operations in urban environments. This level of modularity has been built into the product so that fleet operators are only limited by their imaginations…and ambitions.
SAP as the Digital Backbone
As impressive as it is, the SNAP can only reach its true potential when powered by software that is as robust and capable as the vehicle itself. Multiple SAP Solutions for the Intelligent Enterprise allow the SNAP to be truly customizable and useful for a wide set of consumers. Here are some ways that the SNAP can be a truly cross-industry platform, today.
Transportation as a Service
Configured as a passenger pod, the SNAP performs transportation duties within a corporate campus, helping to continuously train the autonomous algorithms, and improve productivity as employees can summon a SNAP on-demand. Equipped with the latest communication equipment, The SNAP can also serve as a temporary meeting room. Either while driving, or stationary, detached from the chassis.
Predictive Maintenance
What if a vehicle could monitor its own health and detect minor issues? SAP Leonardo, through sensor data, and machine learning, can carefully monitor the condition of large numbers of vehicles in a fleet. It can suggest appropriate maintenance activities to ensure that the SNAP vehicles are always ready to do their jobs.
Energy as a Service (EaaS)
As an energy delivery vehicle, the SNAP can move from location to location delivering power to businesses and consumers on-demand. Take the example of the construction industry. Tomorrow’s site manager can simply order a fleet of SNAP vehicles for her immediate electricity needs. They arrive, charged and ready. This energy as a service (EaaS) model keeps her business nimble and costs efficient.
Disaster Relief
The SNAP can be an efficient mobility option to evacuate people from endangered areas and provide them temporary safe place and shelter by utilizing the pods in a stationary manner. In addition, the SNAP can supply emergency aid workers with critical supplies and energy in the event of a natural disaster.
Healthcare
Is your next health checkup due? Take a doctor’s pod to your next visit and have your initial checkups done in the vehicle saving time and enjoying a more convenient experience. Taking advantage of Connected Healthcare offerings on the go your vital signs will be assessed via sensors and your data will be directly transferred to your doctor. Predictive analytics will even deliver risk scores and health alerts to optimize health outcomes.
Author: Edina Sewell - SAP Industry Business Unit
