[CES2020] Autonomous Driving Show Cars and Future Vehicle Experimental Cities... Total Deployment of New Technologies in the Automotive Industry

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Global automakers unveiled a large number of new technologies that consolidate future car capabilities at CES 2020, the world's largest IT and electronics exhibition. From concept cars inspired by science fiction movies, experimental cities testing new technologies, to vehicles that interact with passengers, the exhibition offered a comprehensive glimpse of what future cars will look like in 10 years.

Mercedes-Benz revealed its future concept car 'Vision AVTR,' inspired by the Hollywood movie Avatar, at CES 2020 on the 6th (local time). Ola K?llenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Group and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, who delivered the keynote speech at the event, introduced the Vision AVTR by saying, "Vision AVTR represents an advanced transformation of transportation," and "It is a show car designed to stimulate imagination just like what we have done in science fiction movies."

The Vision AVTR features a design emphasizing a streamlined body combined with bright lighting to give a futuristic feel. The theme of human-machine connection is highlighted, and autonomous driving is a standard feature. When passengers place their hands on the oval-shaped controller, the vehicle senses their heart rate and vibrates in response. The concept of this show car is to consider the vehicle not merely as a machine but as a kind of organism.

Ola K?llenius, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG (right), and James Cameron, director and producer of the film Avatar, are posing for a commemorative photo in front of Mercedes-Benz's future mobility concept car Vision AVTR.

All vehicle materials are made from recyclable materials, and the car can move laterally like a crab walk. Thirty-three 'bionic flaps,' reminiscent of reptile scales, are used to communicate with people outside the vehicle.

This concept car was created to express Mercedes-Benz's mission of close connectivity between humans and technology, developed in collaboration with the production team of the Hollywood movie Avatar. James Cameron, director and producer of Avatar, also emphasized the importance of human-machine connectivity during the concept car unveiling event and mentioned elements to be applied in his next work.

Chairman K?llenius stated, "The concept car uses recyclable plant-based materials inside the vehicle and applies batteries that can be completely decomposed using organic cell chemistry technology," adding, "Our goal is to pursue sustainable luxury."

Another automaker participating in CES 2020, Toyota, unveiled the concept of 'Woven City,' a city connecting urban mobility. This city will operate on hydrogen fuel cells and serve as a testing ground for various future technologies such as autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, robotics, and mobility services.

Located at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan, 'Woven City' will cover an area of 175 acres (700,000 square meters) and is scheduled to be built in 2021. Approximately 2,000 Toyota employees and their families will actually reside in this city and conduct various experiments with future technologies.

Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, said, "Although small in scale, building a future new city from scratch is the only opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for urban infrastructure." He added, "We hope you will join our efforts to create better lives and mobility by leveraging this unique research ecosystem."

Toyota's Future Car Experimental City Woven City

Audi unveiled the mobility 'Audi AI:ME show car' that interacts with passengers at this CES. The show car is also equipped with a 3D mixed reality head-up display (HUD) jointly developed with Samsung.

The on-demand display co-developed by Audi and Samsung is a 3D mixed reality display that appears as if floating 8 to 10 meters ahead. This technology enables a visibility distance of over 70 meters, and once accustomed to the long-distance view, users no longer need to strain their eyes to refocus.

Additionally, the show car learns the user's habits and interacts with passengers using intelligent functions combined with artificial intelligence. It stores frequently used destinations and derives optimal routes by linking data such as date, time, and current traffic conditions, quickly understanding user preferences and actively implementing them.

Audi AI:ME Show Car

Automotive parts suppliers actively entering the autonomous vehicle industry also showcased various new technologies to be installed in future cars. Continental unveiled a 'transparent hood' that shows the terrain beneath the vehicle and received the CES Innovation Award in the vehicle intelligence and transportation products category.

This feature projects the view under the hood to help drivers check the terrain and obstacles beneath the vehicle. The transparent hood is based on Continental's surround view system, which consists of four satellite cameras and an electronic control unit (ECU). An intelligent image processing algorithm reconstructs the under-vehicle images and reflects them on the surround view screen seen by the driver.

Continental also introduced a speakerless vehicle audio system in collaboration with audio specialist Sennheiser. By combining Continental's actuated sound system with Sennheiser's AMBEO 3D audio technology, the system maintains sound quality while reducing weight and space by over 90% compared to conventional audio systems.

Continental and Sennheiser Realize Speakerless In-Car Sound System

Bosch revealed an AI-based digital vehicle sunvisor and a 3D automotive display, announcing plans to equip or utilize AI in all products by 2025. Bosch's digital sunvisor, which won a CES Innovation Award, uses intelligent algorithms to detect the driver's eye position and darkens only the front windshield area when strong sunlight dazzles the driver's eyes. The in-vehicle monitoring system detects the driver's eyelids, movements, and gaze to assess fatigue and issue warnings. It can also detect how many passengers are inside the vehicle and their seating postures.

Bosch Virtual Sunvisor

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.