CES has become a platform for great automotive innovations, writes Nur Zarina Othman.
IT looks like the recently-concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 in Las Vegas, the
United States, has become a great platform for the automotive industry as well.
A number of automotive companies used the event to showcase what they have in store for future rides, which are all tech-driven, green and intelligent.
From the flying car concept to movie-themed rides, vehicles of the near future displayed at the event look interesting and promising.
FLYING CARS
Flying rideshare, anyone? Hyundai Motor Company and Uber have announced a new partnership to develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial rideshare network. At the recent CES, they unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept.
Euisun Chung, executive vice-chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, says that through the partnership, efforts to harness Hyundai’s businesses and technologies to deliver true freedom of mobility will be accelerated.
“We will innovate tirelessly to redefine the boundaries of mobility and provide quality time to customers,” adds Chung at his keynote presentation.
The partnership will see Hyundai produce and deploy the air vehicles, while Uber will provide air space support services, connections to ground transportation and customer interfaces through an aerial rideshare network.
Both parties are collaborating on infrastructure concepts to support take-off and landing for this new class of vehicles.
Besides Hyundai and Uber, Aviation Company Bell is coming up with its version of a flying vehicle called the Bell Nexus.
It is designed to solve delivery and commuter challenges in the near future. The Bell Nexus can carry goods and people to serve businesses and city-wide demand.
Bell, a Fort Worth, Texas-based company, believes that the flying vehicle is a significant puzzle piece in the future of city travel.
First previewed at CES 2019, the Nexus family now includes the Bell Nexus 4EX.
FUTURISTIC WAGON
Not everyone is in favour of flying in a “car”, but everybody is on the lookout for new innovations in the automotive industry.
Mercedes-Benz, for example, has a different strategy for its futuristic ride.
Together with James Cameron, the Academy Award-winning director and creator of Avatar, the German company announced Vision AVTR.
The concept vehicle connects human, machine and nature in an unprecedented way, according to Ola Kallenius, chairman of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.
He presented the visionary concept vehicle during his keynote speech to around 2,000 spectators at the Park Theatre of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios.
The Vision AVTR uses revolutionary battery technology developed with graphene based organic cell chemistry that is free of rare-earth elements and metals.
The Vision AVTR impressively shows the vision of a “zero impact car” combining the design disciplines interior, exterior and user experience.
The car has digital neurons flowing from the interior of the concept vehicle and, when connected to the vehicle, enables novel communication with the environment.
Another highlight is the vehicle’s control unit. The multi-functional control element in the centre console allows the driver to intuitively control it by simply placing his hand on the console.
SENSOR-POWERED DRIVE
Sony had a surprise with its debut in the automotive world at CES.
The company, known for its electronic products and cameras, showcased Vision-S, its sensor-packed smart car.
Thirty-three sensors, including CMOS image and ToF sensors, are embedded within the vehicle.
Vision-S incorporates Sony’s imaging and sensing technologies, as well as on-board software regulated using the company’s artificial intelligence, telecommunication and cloud technologies that will continuously update and evolve its features.
The prototype is said to be able to detect and recognise people and objects inside and outside the car, provide highly advanced driving support, packed with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio.
The car’s front seats face a panoramic screen on which rich and diverse content can be enjoyed through an intuitive user interface.
Another company that showcased its vision for the automotive world was Audi with its AI:ME concept car.
As Audi describes it, this concept car is a personal “third living space”, alongside our homes and workplaces.
The AI:ME offers passengers eye tracking function for communication, including a food ordering function.
According to the car maker, users also enjoy a wellness experience in the AI:ME as the car comes with a pair of VR goggles, which will allow users to experience virtual flight across a spectacular mountain landscape for a full relaxation session and get away from hectic day-to-day lives.
Another vehicle that made into the show area is the M.VisionS by Hyundai Mobis.
The autonomous driving-based mobility concept car for urban sharing is powered by hydrogen fuel cell system.
Fiat, meanwhile, showcased not one but two cars at CES.
The Centoventi, which means “120” in Italian, is a concept introduced in celebration of the brand’s 120 years’ history.
Produced in just one colour, the Centoventi can be “painted” by customers using the “4U” programme, which can customise the exterior’s look.
According to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the Fiat Centoventi is a revolutionary concept that addresses electric mobility with basic, customisable solutions. The company’s other creation, the Fiat Chrysler, features an Airflow Vision concept car where everything in its interior is digital.
The car has six screens handling the experience for the driver and passengers and the only physical buttons in this car are the starter button and the on-wheel navigation keys.
Toyota came forward with its LQ Level 4 concept car. First introduced in 2017, the vehicle leverages on advanced technology to build an emotional bond between car and driver.
The car (as the name suggest) has a level 4 automated driving capability and an integrated AI assistant called Yui.
Other concept vehicles which were on display during the show include Panasonic’s Karma SC1 Vision concept car; Ford’s Mustang Mach E GT, an all-electric model; Nissan’s Ariya, a semi-autonomous concept vehicle, and Honda augmented driving concept vehicle.
WIRING AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
All the “smart” cars don’t just shine in the “looks” department but are also smarter, thanks to an innovation by chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
At CES, the company unveiled Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride Platform, which is one of the automotive industry’s most advanced, scalable and open autonomous driving solutions.
The platform consists of the family of Snapdragon Ride Safety system-on-chips (SoCs), Snapdragon Ride Safety Accelerator and Snapdragon Ride Autonomous Stack.
The Snapdragon Ride platform addresses the complexity of autonomous driving and ADAS by leveraging its high-performance, power-efficient hardware, AI technologies and pioneering autonomous driving stack to deliver a comprehensive, cost- and energy-efficient systems solution.
ENERGY EFFICIENT
Thanks to 5G connectivity, smart personal transportation is on the rise.
An Italian Startup Company called Measy showcased an innovative electric cargo bike, which fits in a backpack.
Segway also introduced its newest self-balancing vehicle, but this new edition doesn’t require you to stand up.
The S-Pod, an egg-shaped two-wheeler from Segway-Ninebot, is meant to let people sit while they effortlessly cruise around.
Powered by gyroscopic self-balancing technology just like a traditional Segway, the S-Pod is not controlled by leaning forward, backward and to the sides -it is controlled using a little joystick on the right side of the seat.
Other personal transportation modes featured at the CES include Bird Cruiser, a cushioned seat for two with 20-inch wheels and full suspension, which gives a ridiculously fun and comfortable ride. Besides that, there is also the Cybic Aquarius Folding e-bike with Amazon Alexa built-in.