Just like many other car manufacturers, Audi is also present at the world’s largest consumer electronics exhibition. The German car manufacturer has been busy developing concepts of future driving and presents us some of their latest innovations at the CES 2016 in Las Vegas.
Audi have an interior model at display that intends to present visitors with the interior of the future. It’s a preliminary model that shows the future transition of Audi’s current virtual cockpit into an entire virtual dashboard. The ultimate goal of the virtual dashboard is getting to know the driver’s preferences and habits, so the system can then proactively support them.
In the interior model we find an HMI concept that features large AMOLED displays with integrated haptic feedback. AMOLED, which stands for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, is currently among the clearest and sharpest displays available on the market today. Furthermore a development version of Audi’s touch gesture control specified as ‘MMI touch response’ is also demonstrated in the interior model.
In terms of connectivity Audi impresses with their own developed smartphone app ‘MMI connect’, which will also be available on the fourth generation of Apple tv starting in 2016. In the same year Audi will introduce Audi connect SIM, offering customers Audi connect services through the whole of Europe and enabling EU-wide data-roaming.
The advances in connectivity go hand-in-hand with their recently introduced traffic sign information and hazard information services. While these are currently for European Audi owners only, we already had the opportunity getting a glimpse of the fully working system when test driving the 2016 Audi Q7 e-tron late last year. For USA customers, Audi has the service ‘traffic light information online’ ready. This system is capable of connecting Audi vehicles to the central traffic computer giving the car and driver insights on the works and timing of nearby traffic lights.
To underline Audi’s electrification strategy and promote the e-tron production lines, Audi presents visitors of the 2016 CES with the Audi e-tron Quattro Concept Study that we saw being unveiled at last year’s IAA in Frankfurt. Audi promises an SUV capable of reaching 500 kilometers or 310.7 miles on a fully charged battery. A future production model we can expect to be launched in 2018.
Piloted driving could very well be the biggest trend currently at the CES 2016 in Las Vegas. Tesla Motors may have taken the lead by launching their ‘Autopilot’ in fall last year, it’s however car manufacturers like Audi that quietly pioneer the future of piloted driving in the background. The e-tron Quattro Concept includes all piloted driving innovations including piloted driving in traffic jams and piloted parking. What’s more is that the concept car is equipped with 3D cameras, laser scanner, radar and ultrasonic sensors making sure that all the gained information can be processed by Audi’s driver assistance controller.
Further technologies that Audi will be demonstrating at the 2016 CES comprise the latest highlights of Audi’s Matrix OLED lighting and Matrix laser technology. Health management is also something Audi wants to move into, creating a vision of the driver’s fitness or possible fatigue. Audi’s future Audi Fit Driver will keep a close eye on its passengers under the motto ‘My Audi cares for me’.
Audi’s latest technological advances will also be brought to local dealerships, enabling sales personnel to give potential customers a true VR (virtual reality) experience of what their personalized new Audi could look like in real life. The basics of the VR system should be rolled out throughout the year 2016.
To add a little bit of flair to Audi’s presence at the CES 2016 in Las Vegas, the German manufacturer has an additional three of their current models on display. Their 2016 models Audi Q7, A4 and R8 V10 Plus are ready to be explored by CES visitors.
