Company boss Frank M Rinderknecht claims that so far, 'hardly anyone has taken this to its logical conclusion from the perspective of the driver because travelling in a driverless car will no longer require me to stare at the road, but will let me spend my time in a more meaningful way'.
So does the interior of a vehicle have to be designed to allow the now largely unburdened driver make best use of the time gained?
Rinspeed provide the answer with a fully electric touring saloon by the name of ‘XchangE’ (pictured above and below). So far only a few highlights have been revealed including that the car’s seats are like the relaxing business-class seats of major airlines. A new operating and display concept with a host of innovative entertainment, safety and service functions make it possible to work or relax in comfort while riding in the driverless car. All passengers will have a wide variety of media or access in-depth information so will be able to read, listen to music, surf the web, play games, watch movies or hold a meeting at 120 km/h and work on files. Interestingly, the steering wheel can be ‘parked’ in the middle of the dashboard so as not to get in the way, like ‘steer-by-wire technology that can also be found on modern jet aircraft.
The creators believe autonomous driving will make individual travel more attractive compared to traveling by train, plane or long-distance coach.
We’ll see the ‘XchangeE' at the Geneva Motor Show which takes place from 6 - 16 March 2014.
