A possible future evolution of the 'third living environment', that is, of the car that is added, for all of us, to the home and the workplace. This is how Audi defines AI: ME, the futuristic proposal for a self-driving compact EV - unveiled at the Las Vegas on the occasion of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 - which describes the lines and above all the mobility technologies of tomorrow, but anticipates unprecedented solutions that can be found in production models.
AI: ME - whose name derives from the Audi Intelligence Experience (AIE) project - is a true lounge on wheels and represents the avant-garde in the personalization of the relationship between car and user, as well as multiple futuristic solutions among which Audi empathic technology stands out Intelligence Experience is the innovative 3D head-up display based on mixed reality.
Designed and built for the megalopolises of the future, AI: ME is electric, autonomous and fully connected, able to adapt to the moods and psychophysical conditions of passengers, allowing them to organize time on board according to preferences personal and drawing on a wide range of avant-garde hi-tech systems for communication, entertainment or, simply, relaxation.
The management of communication and connectivity systems takes place thanks to oculometry - the control by looking, or eye tracking - and by voice commands. The passenger can interact intuitively with the electric concept, for example to order his favorite food simply by 'selecting' with his eyes the menu that appears on the full-width display. Two small infrared cameras, one for the driver and the other dedicated to the front passenger, observe the movements of both the eyes and the orbicular muscles recognizing the exact direction of the gaze.
Passengers confirm inputs via touch-sensitive fields at the strips under the windows (remote touch), controls which are perfectly ergonomic and integrated into the surfaces, so as to be invisible. Only when the hand approaches, does the proximity sensor activate a specific lighting function that identifies the functional surfaces.
On board of Audi AI: ME it is possible to enjoy a wellness experience: there are two VR viewers for virtual reality, thanks to which passengers replicate the experience of moving through a relaxing mountain landscape. Immersive technology, given that car movements are integrated into the virtual world. The journey on board AI: ME is thus transformed into a unique experience, comparable to a wellness-lounge.
And once you arrive at your destination, you return pleasantly to the real world: the meal ordered by eye tracking is delivered on time, since Audi AI: ME independently knows the destination address and the arrival time of the user, coordinating the delivery.
Thanks to the Audi Intelligence Experience (AIE) project, the House of the Four Rings provides an anticipation of how customers will interact with the car in the future. Thanks to multiple smart functions and artificial intelligence, the IEA improves the well-being and safety of passengers. To make this possible, the car knows its user and his habits, adjusting the comfort and infotainment functions in a personalized way. Every Audi turns into an empathetic and thinking travel companion: an intelligent assistant for daily mobility.
One example is self-learning navigation which is already integrated in the current generation of Audi MMI systems. Audi cars of tomorrow will recognize preferences already after a particularly short period of time and will activate or adjust them automatically. And if desired, the car can also be based on the user's psychophysical conditions, detected on the basis of driving style and vital functions such as skin temperature and pulse, monitored by specific on-board sensors. Audi Intelligence Experience will improve passenger safety, well-being and comfort.