Panasonic unveiled its Autonomous Cabin Concept at CES 2017, Las Vegas. It boasts next-generation infotainment and connectivity, touch displays, smart materials and augmented reality housed in a futuristic and well-appointed four-seater cabin.
The Autonomous Cabin Concept has Connected Interactive Tables for all four occupants, each featuring a touch screen in 4K resolution that double as foldable tables. The versatile Connected Interactive Table can be moved into a number of positions, allowing occupants to face each other, sit side-by-side or combine all four tables as one giant interactive screened surface. This multi-use platform, allows individual to watch their own content or even play digital boardgames together with the tablets arranged as one.
It also features Personal Sound Technology. Each passenger has a set of speakers built into his or her headrest, allowing personal audio content to be streamed directly to these spaces and applied versions of this technology in the market already. Through next-generation noise-reduction technology, zones in the Autonomous Cabin Concept can negate unwanted sounds, thereby maximizing comfort.
This surface is also ‘smart’ in that it reacts to objects around it. Panasonic has designed a magic mug – the Autonomous Cabin Concept provides hot and cold drinks with an integrated coffee machine and fridge that works with the connected interactive tables. When this magic mug is placed on the table, the screen display immediately moves so that vital information is still visible.
Working (literally) hand-in-hand with these tablets is a magic ring, a detachable circular controller device which, when placed on the Connected Interactive Tables, can be used to adjust a host of different settings such as the cabin temperature or dim the light in the cabin.
In-car cameras also scan the faces of the occupants. The ‘driver’ is identified by Face Recognition. He or she is the only person who can fully control the car and change the destination by updating the satellite navigation system.
Thanks to Panasonic’s innovative Smart Material, interior surfaces made of resin – a fancy name for plastic – with Panasonic’s unique Film-in-Molding technology, they can be made to look like real wood metal or leather whilst displaying information and/or provide mood lighting, and can be backlit.
The AR Windows are transparent display surfaces bonded to the windows of the car, a whole host of information shown to the occupants, such as weather conditions at the destination. These displays can augment real objects outside the vehicle. See a landmark go past the car and it is possible to display augmented information on the window in real time.
The Autonomous Cabin Concept also features an Air Purifier which uses Nano-e technology: nano-sized electrostatic water particles, which eliminate unpleasant odours and also suppress the formation of mold and allergens, keeping the cabin de-odorised and as clean as possible.
