The car with a mind of its own, the Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion, is finally coming to Europe, nine months after it saw the light of day. The Europeans have the chance to see it at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria starting… TODAY!
The 2015 event bears the “POST CITY – habitats for the 21st century” banner and will depict the way our lives and cities are set to change with the progress of digitalization. The F015 Luxury in Motion represents a look into the future, on how vehicles and passengers will communicate with the outside world.
The autonomous vehicle is on a world tour that began this past January at the CES in Las Vegas. It then went straight to San Francisco for some tests and then all the way to Shanghai. Now it is finally time for Europe.
“One very real vision of a mobile habitat that can be experienced already is the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion, which provides an ideal starting point for discussing the themes of this year’s festival”, said Jürgen Weissinger, Head of Vehicle Concepts and Future Trends at Daimler AG.
As a central exhibit at the event in Linz, the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion depicts the way the car will be more than just means of transportation. It will grow beyond its role and will gradually turn itself into a private refuge. The spacious lounge-like cockpit of the autonomously driving research vehicle takes comfort and luxury to a whole new level. The monolithic exterior, with large LED light modules at the front and at the rear, completes the futuristic look of the Mercedes UFO.
The Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion was made to ceaselessly exchange data with the passengers, the other cars, the pedestrians and everything that can perceive its messages. Six LED screens are installed inside the cockpit, all to serve this very purpose. By gestures, eye-tracking and touching the high-resolution displays, the occupants can intuitively interact with the networked vehicle. Consequently, the F 015 Luxury in Motion becomes a digital haven and a refuge for relaxation or work, since the ones inside it does not need to keep their eyes on the road.
Stepping out of the vehicle, large LED areas with alternative lights at the front and at the rear, plus a forward-pointing laser projection system are responsible for visual communication with the vehicle’s surroundings. By projecting zebras on the pavement, the car can even tell to pedestrians when it is the safe to cross the street.
The ability to permanently interact with the environment makes the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion a reliable partner on the road, creating trust between human and machine.
For further details and the first ever test drive, check out this article:Test drive without the driving.
