By akademiotoelektronik, 07/04/2022

The AUDI AI:ME loves artificial intelligence | The Press

With the AI:ME connected autonomous car prototype, presented at the Shanghai Motor Show, Audi made an accidental French-sounding word. AI:ME is pronounced in English (I-me) and Audi explains that the first syllable AI is the acronym for artificial intelligence.

Published on Apr 16, 2019THE PRESS

“The name Audi AI:ME connects AI to the users themselves,” says Audi, adding that its artificial intelligence systems are already “capable of learning and thinking, while being pro-active and personal” and that they will be “both intelligent and empathetic” in the future.

As we saw with the AI:CON prototype, Audi is relying heavily on artificial intelligence for autonomous driving.

But whereas the AI-CON imagined the luxury sedan of the future, the AI:ME represents a vision of urban mobility. Audi claims that a car like the AI-ME will run between 20 km/h and 70 km/h most of the time.

A second home, in traffic

Audi presents the AI:ME as the third environment for the city dwellers of tomorrow, after home and work. For today's suburbanites, in the real life of daily traffic jams, this is already the reality and Audi has put on varnished wood and greenery to calm the occupants.

To keep them busy during the long morning and evening commutes, there's an infotainment system whose screen runs the full width of the dashboard.

The design of the AI:ME allows for a large interior space thanks to the very long wheelbase which places the wheels almost at the ends. This gives a short, wide and tall look to this car whose roof decorated with leafy plants is reminiscent of a pergola or a greenhouse.

As Audi really imagines us spending long moments in the AI:ME, the seats are reminiscent of lounge chairs and powerful magnets are integrated into the center console so that we can have a bite to eat without fear of damage during multiple acceleration and braking of driving in traffic jams.

The motor spins the rear wheels

When the conversation runs out, there are two virtual reality visors that both of us can use, for a movie or a video game. We can, since Audi anticipates level 4 autonomous driving software. In autonomous mode, the steering wheel and pedals retract to make more space for the driver.

The AI-ME is a rear-wheel drive car, the 170 hp electric motor is mounted above the rear axle. The lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 65 kWh.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, Audi promises that cars inspired by AI:ME will be able to interact not only with the car's road environment, but also with their occupants "to adapt better than ever to their needs".

To illustrate its ambitions Audi has also presented a dancer performing a choreography with an industrial robot.