Audi Pop.Up Next: the autonomous flying car of Italdesign and Airbus
The Geneva Motor Show 2018 also reserves an important space for progress in terms of personal mobility, a place where many prototypes that advance what could be the future of the car come together. One of them is the Audi Pop.Up Next, an autonomous car combined with a passenger drone that has been developed by the Ingolstadt company in collaboration with the aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the Italdesign studio.
"A vision that could change to sow urban life," said Bernd Martens, Director of Purchasing at Audi. We are facing a modular concept to solve the problems of traffic in large cities, according to the statement of the German company. "In a long-term future, this vehicle could transport passengers by land and air quickly in large cities, solving traffic problems," reads the press release.
This project combines two vehicles in one. On the one hand, we have a small two-seater utility equipped with autonomous driving technology, while on the other, we have a four-propelled drone that is able to fit into the small car to make this a kind of flying car or small helicopter that provides solutions to mobility in congested cities.
While the overall design is carried out by the Italdesign studio, Airbus has developed the passenger drone and Audi the small car, providing support to the project in battery technology and automation. Another noteworthy point to consider in the interior of the Audi Pop.Up Next is the huge screen of 124.5 cm (the equivalent of 49 inches) that allows the interaction between humans and machines by voice recognition and easy, as well as tracking eyepiece and tactile function.
As shown by Audi in its digital images of the design studio Pop.Up Next, the vehicle would be adapted to the drone by means of a system with four pins located on the roof of the car. In some way, it can even hide its wheels during the flight, while from the inside it offers a complete view thanks to the large side windows and the front window.
"A vision that could change to sow urban life," said Bernd Martens, Director of Purchasing at Audi. We are facing a modular concept to solve the problems of traffic in large cities, according to the statement of the German company. "In a long-term future, this vehicle could transport passengers by land and air quickly in large cities, solving traffic problems," reads the press release.
This project combines two vehicles in one. On the one hand, we have a small two-seater utility equipped with autonomous driving technology, while on the other, we have a four-propelled drone that is able to fit into the small car to make this a kind of flying car or small helicopter that provides solutions to mobility in congested cities.
While the overall design is carried out by the Italdesign studio, Airbus has developed the passenger drone and Audi the small car, providing support to the project in battery technology and automation. Another noteworthy point to consider in the interior of the Audi Pop.Up Next is the huge screen of 124.5 cm (the equivalent of 49 inches) that allows the interaction between humans and machines by voice recognition and easy, as well as tracking eyepiece and tactile function.
As shown by Audi in its digital images of the design studio Pop.Up Next, the vehicle would be adapted to the drone by means of a system with four pins located on the roof of the car. In some way, it can even hide its wheels during the flight, while from the inside it offers a complete view thanks to the large side windows and the front window.