Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new autonomous concept car at the 2020 Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, debuting what it calls the VISION AVTR… as part of the Chairman of the Board of Management Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, Ola Källenius’ keynote speech.
Inspired by James Cameron‘s 2009 blockbuster film Avatar, Mercedes-Benz went so far as to partner with the film’s creators to design the AVTR, which stands for Advanced Vehicle Transformation. It is a fully hi-tech car that Mercedes says embodies the next chapter of sustainable luxury. Think ecologically-sound mobility mixed with awe-inspiring, futuristic design that tries to highlight the interaction between humans and machines.
Intended as a look at ‘mobility in the distant future’, the goal was to build a vehicle that seamlessly interacts with its occupants. Equipped with an advanced AI, the VISION AVTR comes to life by sensing the heartbeat and breathing patterns of the driver and passengers.
The design features no conventional doors as its doors are fully transparent and they open gracefully upwards to mimic the gestures of a flying insect and its rider.
Together with those interactive and movable flaps, the car seems eager to interact, much in the same way a dog gleefully wags its tail in the presence of its master.
The Mercedes-Benz AVTR also comes without a steering wheel, rather it relies on the driver to place their hand on a central control unit, activating the vehicle via their own heartbeat or breathing patterns.
The driver will have access to the car’s key controls through a menu projected directly onto the palm of their hand.
The seats too, are tied into the life-forces of the person sitting in them: they feature haptic feedback, recording vital data by measuring the driver’s breathing patterns.
The VISION AVTR still looks like a car, but it aims to replicate the aura of a living, breathing creature. For
instance, there are 33 multi-directionally movable “surface elements” or flaps as Mercedes describes them, spread across the rear hood. Reminiscent of a reptile’s scales, they flutter and undulate to add gestural communication; Mercedes also envisages them as helping to add energy to the EV in the form of solar panels, instinctively angling towards the sun like flowers as the vehicle moves. Finally, the flaps can be utilized to enhance aerodynamic efficiency, increasing driving dynamics and improving braking.
According to Mercedes-Benz, the car can also crab-walk sideways thanks to “the possibility to drive the front and rear axles in the same or opposite direction,” allowing the VISION AVTR to “move sideways by approximately 30 degrees”.
“There’s another area of technology where the car has made great progress and still has amazing potential: connectivity,” Kallenius said. In his CES 2020 keynote, Kallenius highlighted that vehicles of the future should do so much more than simply pair with our smartphones.
“What I want to focus on is the bond between human and machine. The more natural the connection gets, the better,” he added. “I don’t know how many people have a nickname for their smartphone, but we all know that many cars are treated like friends or family.” This philosophy is the guiding principle in creating the advanced human-machine interface of the VISION AVTR. Because in the future, cars are not just separate machines; you or the driver will become one with the car.
The interior of the vehicle is supposedly inspired by the Na’vi (a fictional people from the film) and their connection with their natural surroundings on the fictional planet of Pandora.
The triangular centre console symbolises the Tree of Souls, a sacred place referenced in the film, with the unusual design extending to the cocoon-like backseat and hammock-adjacent front seats.
The car can also detect the presence of a family inside, allowing the parents in the front seat to monitor the wellbeing of their children in the backseat through display projections, as well as offering a so-called “Magic Pool” of “learning-oriented gaming and a child-friendly augmented reality experience“.
Similar to other concepts, it’s the level of detail and ambitious features that most wow. Even if the idea of a harmonious fusion between man, machine and nature don’t resonate, Mercedes’ VISION AVTR is making waves in electric drive technology. Its four high-performance and near-wheel-built electric cars embodies a particularly agile implementation of the vision of a dynamic luxury saloon. With a combined engine power of more than 350 kW, the VISION AVTR sets a new benchmark for EQ Power. Thanks to the intelligent and fully variable torque distribution, the power of a combination of four fully individually controllable motors is not only managed in the best possible way in terms of driving dynamics, but above all in a highly efficient manner.
In addition to an exponentially high energy density – compared to today’s battery systems with up to 1,200 Wh/litre – the technology also impresses with its exceptional fast charging capability via automated, conductive charging technology. This means that the battery will be fully recharging in less than 15 minutes. The innovative technology also allows maximum flexibility with regard to the construction space: with a local minimum of 94 millimetres, the battery adapts ideally to the shared space vehicle concept, thus maximising the multifunctional interior.
With a capacity of around 110 kWh, the VISION AVTR enables an electric range of more than 700 kilometres. By recuperating during roll-out and braking, the high-voltage battery can be recharged with a higher efficiency than established systems while driving and thus contributes to the high energy efficiency of the overall system.
