Week in Review: Auto, Security, Pervasive Computing

Automotive
The European Union plans to approve sales of fully autonomous vehicles by the end of September, according to Politico. The legislative package will allow for the registration and sale of up to 1,500 vehicles per model per year in member countries. Level 4 autonomous vehicles are still in the development stage, but reducing human error in autos is a crucial part of the EU’s goal to eliminate road deaths by 2050.

Chip shortages continue to devastate vehicle sales and drive up prices. Demand still outpaces supply, but at least for now, that demand remains strong.

According to ReportLinker, the automotive sensor market is expected to climb from $21.54 billion last year to $24.42 billion by the end of this year. The growth is primarily linked to recovery from pandemic-related issues, but the rise of autonomous technology is expected to be a major contributor in the coming years. Major companies in the space include Infineon, Robert Bosch, Continental, DENSO, Sensata Technologies, Allegro Microsystems, Analog Devices, ELMOS Semiconductor, Aptiv, and NXP.

Batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, solar, or some combination? Which fuel source is most likely to power next-generation autos?

Speaking of auto’s high-tech future, here’s what we can predict about the commercial auto industry based on Formula 1 racing technology.

Security
The U.S. government announced the winners of a six-year contest to create encryption algorithms that can withstand the attack of a quantum computer — CRYSTALS-Kyber for general encryption and CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON, and SPHINCS+ for digital signatures. The competition began in 2016 when The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) asked for the public’s help in “future-proofing” electronic information. The agency said in a statement that it expects to finalize the encryption standards in the next two years, and that four other algorithms are also under consideration.

IBM says it has a new 33-month work order to “provide security services designed to enhance the Department of Defense’s (DoD) microelectronics supply chain for critical mission platforms.” The project involves establishing secured microelectronic manufacturing flows at fabs.

The security risks associated with the commercialization of chiplets are expected to increase.

Pervasive Computing
The Semiconductor Industry Association reports that May global semiconductor sales were up 18% year-over-year and 1.8% month-to-month, reaching $51.8 billion. The organization says the industry will need more chip design, research, and manufacturing in the coming years, and urged U.S. leaders to “swiftly enact bipartisan innovation and competitiveness legislation.” A funding package has not yet been approved for the CHIPS For America Act. Numerous industry sources say the chip shortage may be easing, but the issue is complicated.

As if the idea of going under the knife wasn’t terrifying enough, imagine what could happen if someone hacked into your procedure. Here’s what it takes to keep robotic surgery safe.

The World Economic Forum says that building the next generation of artificial intelligence talent will require governments to participate more actively in AI ecosystems, including standardizing AI degrees and providing more AI opportunities throughout the educational process.

Events
The Design Automation Conference begins on July 10 in San Francisco with SEMICON West beginning a couple days later. The 2022 International Symposium on Quantum Computing: Circuits Systems Automation and Applications will be held online on July 18, while the virtual Rambus Design Summit will take place on July 19. The hybrid International Symposium on Failure Analysis and Material Testing will be held both online and in Erlangen, Germany, on July 22.

In Case You Missed It
Can you name the top four things that increase the likelihood of an injury on the road? The answer is in the previous issue of the Auto, Security & Pervasive Computing newsletter. Also be sure to check out the big money that went into early-stage companies in June in our Startup Funding roundup.

If you’d like to receive Semiconductor Engineering newsletters and alerts via email, please subscribe here.