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Introduction to the Audi AI:ME Concept
At Auto Shanghai 2019, Audi introduced the Audi AI:ME, a vision of an autonomous city car designed for future megacities. The concept offers compact dimensions, a spacious, futuristic interior, and autonomous driving at level 4, allowing driver-occupants to engage in a variety of activities while on the move. The body line of the Audi AI:ME demonstrates a perfect synthesis between emotions and economy. The name AI:ME emphasizes the connection to the Audi AIcon, a study of automated long-distance vision presented in 2017. With a length of 4.30 meters (14.1 ft) and a width of 1.90 meters (6.2 ft), the Audi AI:ME is a typical compact car in terms of dimensions. Thanks to an electric drive that allows for shorter overhangs, the wheelbase is 2.77 meters (9.1 ft) and the height is 1.52 meters (5 ft), providing a very spacious interior. The electric drive unit is located on the rear axle and produces 125 kW (170 metric hp). The AI:ME is designed primarily for individual seats at the front, but it offers space for up to four people if necessary.
Design and Dimensions
The Audi AI:ME is designed with an exterior length of 4.30 meters and a width of 1.90 meters, which makes it comparable to a present-day compact car. However, the electric drive allows for a shorter overhang, resulting in a wheelbase of 2.77 meters and a height of 1.52 meters. This design makes the interior very spacious. The electric drive unit on the rear axle produces 125 kW (170 metric hp). The AI:ME is primarily designed for individual seats at the front, but it can accommodate up to four people if necessary.
Autonomous Driving and AI Integration
The name AI:ME connects AI (Artificial Intelligence) with the users, emphasizing that Audi’s cutting-edge technologies are proactive and personalized. The AI:ME is designed for city-level 4 driving, which is the second-highest level on a standardized international scale for increasing automation. Systems with level 4 do not require any human assistance within a specific area such as highways or specially equipped inner-city zones. The driver is only required to resume control when the car leaves the defined area for fully automated driving. Unlike the Audi AIcon, which is equipped for level 5 (always fully autonomous), the Audi AI:ME still includes a traditional steering wheel and control elements.
Interior and User Experience
Audi AI fundamentally changes how automobiles are used, transforming the car into a “third living space” alongside homes and workplaces. The design team prioritized the interior, making it the core of the whole vehicle. The focus here is less on the traditional connection between driver and vehicle and more on the time spent in the automated vehicle. In the Audi AI:ME, occupants can enjoy a relaxed meal while riding, put on VR goggles for the visual output of the infotainment system, use the internet, watch movies, or even engage in interactive gaming. Audi demonstrates the possibilities that await us in the future with the Holoride system, where vehicle movements are detected by a sensor system and integrated interactively into the visual course of a game. The occupants experience the interior of the Audi AI:ME not simply as a means of transport, but as a luxurious atmosphere with numerous high-tech features. The high-quality audio system is coupled with noise compensation that can completely suppress the outside noise level.
Interior Ambiance and Wellbeing
The interior of the Audi AI:ME features a blend of high-quality textiles, recycled products, and wood, which, together with the predominantly technical character of the vehicle, gives a cozy and luxurious touch. The use of real plants in the interior is a first for an automobile. Sophisticated filter technology prevents external odors from entering the interior. Systems that determine stress levels based on vital parameters also serve the well-being of the occupants. Intelligent algorithms allow the Audi AI:ME to get to know the driver better and improve their options in a specific manner.
Exterior Design
The exterior of the Audi AI:ME is immediately recognizable, characterized by a hexagonal Singleframe with an inverted shape and surface typical for a future Audi. There are clear similarities to the Audi AIcon, such as the significant angle in the side windows. The exterior differs strongly from mainstream competition. Large side doors that open in opposite directions and are fastened at the front and back facilitate easy entry and exit. Despite this, the Audi AI:ME does not appear as a cubic van but exudes dynamism even at a standstill. Large 23-inch wheels emphasize this appearance.
Lighting and Communication
With self-driving cars of the future, headlights will not be a priority anymore, as a driver will rarely need the road to be brightly illuminated. Another function of the lighting that takes on a more important role is communicating with other road users. Digital matrix luminous surfaces can use moving graphics to output clearly understandable signals about the driving condition and marking the vehicle itself. The Audi AI:ME lighting design integrates LED elements in the body in a high position above the wheel wells, where they are visible from all angles. This 360-degree communication is an important additional safety feature for pedestrians or cyclists. The graphics can be projected onto the road or a wall or used to illuminate the door area to ensure that occupants can enter or exit the vehicle safely.
Performance and Energy Efficiency
As a level 4 vehicle, the Audi AI:ME is equipped with bright LED headlights and perfectly visible brake and tail lights for situations in which drivers take the wheel themselves. An automobile like the AI:ME will drive predominantly in the speed range between 20 and 70 km/h (12.4 and 43.5 mph) and will often have to remain mobile for hours without charging. For a city car, long ranges in terms of kilometers are less relevant than the ability to make good use of the operating time. A set of batteries with a storage capacity of 65 kWh is more than enough, coupled with a synchronous motor that has an output of 125 kW (170 metric hp). Adding brake energy recuperation to its comparatively low weight, the Audi AI:ME shows extremely low energy consumption even in city traffic. The body is made of a lightweight multi-material compound consisting of high-tech steel, aluminum, and plastic components, particularly in the attachments.
Personalization and Digital Integration
Future cars should be available and ready for use upon request and should ideally be custom-tailored. Premium customers can still demand that they have the option to order their automobiles with as many individual features as possible. The color, interiors, and technical options can be pre-configured online with the app or via the driver details stored in the “myAudi” system. Even drivers’ preferred interior temperature, the perfect ergonomic seat adjustment, and their personal music library are already activated when they get into the car. The app, which is operated via a smartphone and in the car itself, also serves as an assistant and intermediary for many other services, such as ordering food on the way and making a quick, automated stop at a restaurant to have it delivered to the car, allowing occupants to enjoy their meal in the vehicle on their way home.
Conclusion
The Audi AI:ME becomes a part of the user’s personal digital world, turning the daily commute from point A to B into an enjoyable ride with free time. “Audi on demand” is available in metropolises on several continents and is already a perfect example of the future expansion of Audi’s offer into a global mobility service provider. With the simultaneous expansion and specialization of the vehicle fleet, this program will become even more attractive to customers with high demands in the future. The premium vehicle offers itself and the digital integration of the automobile and living environment will give the Audi brand a head start in this segment.
Key Takeaways
- The Audi AI:ME is a compact, autonomous city car designed for future megacities, featuring a spacious, futuristic interior and level 4 autonomous driving.
- It has a length of 4.30 meters and a width of 1.90 meters, making it comparable to a present-day compact car, with a wheelbase of 2.77 meters and a height of 1.52 meters.
- The electric drive unit on the rear axle produces 125 kW (170 metric hp), and the car is designed for a speed range of 20 to 70 km/h (12.4 to 43.5 mph).
- The interior is designed as a “third living space” with high-tech features such as VR goggles for infotainment, a high-quality audio system with noise compensation, and a luxurious ambiance with high-quality textiles and real plants.
- The exterior features a hexagonal Singleframe, large 23-inch wheels, and a lighting design that communicates with other road users through digital matrix luminous surfaces.
- Personalization is a key feature, with options for pre-configuring color, interiors, and technical features through the “myAudi” system and an app that serves as an assistant for various services.
- The Audi AI:ME is part of Audi’s vision for a global mobility service provider, aiming to make daily commutes more enjoyable and integrated into the user’s personal digital world.
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