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# For the Cars and the Curious: Android Drift

How are developers safely bringing multi-screen experiences natively to the dashboard? Dive into Android Automotive OS to see how Kotlin and Jetpack Compose power tomorrow's smart vehicles.

- **Speakers:** Stephan Schuster
- **Event:** World Congress 2022
- **Published:** June 15, 2022
- **Duration:** 30:46
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/499-for-the-cars-and-the-curious-android-drift

## Summary

The automotive software landscape relies on managing an increasingly complex, sensor-heavy, and multi-display environment. As digital demands inside vehicles expand, developers face the challenge of uniting disparate hardware systems—from safety-critical instrument clusters running real-time operating systems like QNX to deeply integrated In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) setups. Seamlessly bridging these heterogeneous environments requires dynamically shifting user context, where interfaces anticipate states and adapt functionality, particularly as driving evolves toward autonomous models where the driver's focus shifts heavily to infotainment screens.

The industry standard solution centers on Android Automotive OS (AAOS), distinct from the phone-projected Android Auto because it runs natively on the vehicle's head unit and binds directly with core powertrain arrays via the CAN bus. The underlying software stack leverages an updated Linux kernel with Android-specific binder IPC extensions, establishing hardware abstraction through HIDL and trusted execution environments via Trusty. Operating above the vehicle hardware abstraction layer, automakers deploy modern Android development practices—embracing Kotlin, coroutines, MVI unidirectional data flow, and Jetpack Compose—to craft highly responsive, resilient original equipment manufacturer applications that define the dashboard.

Bringing external ecosystems into the vehicle introduces immense driver distraction risks, prompting the adoption of Google's Car App Library. Third-party developers are restricted to a strict templated UI approach managed by a template host, which actively mitigates visual overload while bridging various screen form factors natively. Furthermore, manufacturers maintain brand cohesion and streamline iterations through a centralized theming engine that feeds design tokens directly from design tools to dynamic runtime resource overlays. At the deepest system layers, rigorous SELinux policies dictate explicit permissions, ensuring even passive background app states accessing vehicle data remain tightly controlled and functionally secure.

**Keywords:** android automotive OS, in-vehicle infotainment, car app library, driver safety compliance, vehicle hardware abstraction, binder IPC kernel extensions, AUTOSAR architecture, QNX real-time systems, design token routing, MVI unidirectional data flow, SELinux hardware permissions, OEM app customization, CAN bus integration, automotive UI templating, trusted execution environment

## Chapters

1. **Introducing software engineering for electric vehicle prototypes** (00:42) — Creating a comprehensive software suite for concept cars requires integrating various safety, entertainment, and adaptability features.
1. **Processing data and visualizing interfaces across multiple vehicle displays** (02:29) — Managing diverse usage contexts requires adapting human-machine interfaces across numerous screens and sensors simultaneously.
1. **Standardizing vehicle software architecture and infotainment operating systems** (05:29) — Connecting instrument clusters and infotainment systems involves using standardized platforms alongside specialized operating systems.
1. **Differentiating standalone automotive operating systems from projected mobile experiences** (08:19) — Integrating an operating system directly into the head unit offers deeper vehicle access compared to decoupled mobile projection tools.
1. **Building a custom in-vehicle infotainment system from source** (09:33) — Combining the open-source codebase with hardware-specific drivers enables original equipment manufacturers to create localized car functionalities.
1. **Understanding the layered architecture and hardware abstraction levels** (12:20) — The lower-level core system relies on an extended kernel, hardware interfaces, and efficient runtime environments to manage critical device features.
1. **Developing customized native applications for automotive user interfaces** (15:39) — Implementing original equipment manufacturer applications requires modern native tools and a component-driven architecture to maintain strict safety standards.
1. **Adapting third-party mobile applications for automotive safety standards** (18:16) — Using specialized template libraries simplifies adapting existing mobile functionality to strict vehicle interface requirements without excessive visual distractions.
1. **Generating dynamic user interface themes using centralized design tokens** (20:34) — A connected toolchain seamlessly translates design tokens from initial mockups into runtime resource overlays across the target system.
1. **Addressing data collection and application safety in smart vehicles** (22:53) — Ensuring application safety involves strict manual checks while local regulations govern the extent of cloud-based telemetry collection.
1. **Interfacing with core vehicle systems and handling software permissions** (24:49) — Abstracting hardware networks to expose vehicle properties enables adaptive applications that enforce access using robust kernel-level security rules.

## Related Moments

- [Understanding the foundations of the Android Automotive system](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/670-an-inside-look-into-the-group-application-store) (from "An inside look into the Group Application Store")
- [Comparing tethered Android Auto protocols with native Automotive OS](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/553-android-beyond-mobile-cars-tvs-and-wearables) (from "Android beyond mobile: Cars, TVs, and Wearables")
- [Adopting Android natively to scale automotive applications](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/670-an-inside-look-into-the-group-application-store) (from "An inside look into the Group Application Store")
- [Securing vehicle systems through Android permission management](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/670-an-inside-look-into-the-group-application-store) (from "An inside look into the Group Application Store")
- [Tackling functional complexity with localized vehicle electronic architectures](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/258-on-developing-smartphones-on-wheels) (from "On developing smartphones on wheels")
- [Managing the complexity of modern car software architectures](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/61-how-machine-learning-is-turning-the-automotive-industry-upside-down) (from "How Machine Learning is turning the Automotive Industry upside down")

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