The Vision AVTR concept was presented earlier this year as the main star of the CES - Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. This futuristic luxury car was thought and conceived according to the partnership between the luxury German brand Mercedes-Benz and the producer and director of the movie Avatar, one of the biggest box office successes and cinema's greatest exponent in the presentation of the virtual future.
Like what happens in the film, in which the Na´vi-human hybrid bodies, created by genetic engineering, served for the interaction between machines and humans, the Vision AVTR is also an anticipation of what a car might be in the future. Where there is a fusion between human beings and their means of transport, in a “completely new interaction between Man, machine and nature”. Despite all the “similarities” with the film, its name does not arise only from the allusion to the name ‘Avatar’, but it is also the acronym for ‘Advanced Vehicle Transformation’.
Even though it is aware that much of what this vehicle promises is still merely conceptual, Mercedes-Benz intends to make it a reality in the long run, starting with total protection for the environment. As Daimler Vice President of Design Gordon Wagener said; “In 2039 Mercedes-Benz will be a 100% carbon neutral company, in the production of its vehicles / engines in Europe, the United States and Japan, an objective that will extend to vehicles in circulation until 2050 and this“ concept car ” brings some ideas that will be part of that future. When we had the first meetings with Cameron we agreed that it would make sense to create a vehicle that would promote a new relationship between human and machine”, adds Wagener, for whom Vision AVTR is an absolute demonstration that luxury brands must accelerate their promotion as sustainable, “because more and more those who do not show environmental and social respect hardly have the respect of others”. As for the materials used in its design Gordon Wagener, he says; “We put all the focus on organic materials and functions that are reminiscent of organisms, like the transparent mini doors, which go up instead of opening. On the other hand, the dashboard symbolizes the “Tree of Souls” the most sacred place for the humanoid natives of the Avatar (Na´vi) and is a projection surface for 3D images of the exterior that surrounds us, many of which could only be captured by a flying being ”.
This machine of the future has four electric motors, one on each of the wheels, which make 350 kW (475 hp) of power, and that means that each wheel is driven (movement and rotation) individually. This allows a lateral movement very similar to that of crabs. It will have 110 kWh batteries that are believed to give a range of 700 km on a single charge. These batteries are free of rare metals (nickel or cobalt), a revolutionary battery technology based on the chemistry of organic cells based on graphene is used, ie the battery is fully recyclable. It also has a unique feature that is the "bionic flaps" in the rear that imitate the scales of a reptile, increasing the technical-organic aesthetics that are already very striking. These flaps "communicate" with the outside world using subtle gestures, intuitively moving to signal when the driver increases or decreases speed, for example.
The Vision AVTR adjusts the climate and lighting as a kind of symbiotic organism and measures the vital signs of the occupants. It has no buttons or tactile surfaces. When you raise your right hand, you will have a projection on the palm of your hand with which you can control the individual menu items. All control of the vehicle is done through a spongy joystick, with touch and organic aspect, which allows to accelerate, brake and turn, but which also captures the heart rhythm through the user's palm, which makes the fusion between man evident and machine. What is foreseen for the near future is that it is possible to choose to delegate driving to Vision AVTR itself.
