Rinspeed will show a new autonomous concept car at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Dubbed the Etos, the car features fully autonomous technology.
The Etos’s steering wheel retracts into the centre console when the car is in self-driving mode. Two curved 21.5-inch HD screens are fitted for infotainment. The Etos’s suite of connected services are said to act as a personal assistant for the driver. According to a Rinspeed spokesman, the car is able to "anticipate needs" and “provides perfect entertainment, connectivity and maximum safety.”
Rinspeed says that over time, the Etos learns to ‘know’ its regular occupants, anticipating their journeys and destinations. Eye tracking allows the car to “know what the driver has seen, but also what he has failed to see.” The car’s digital mirrors are displayed only when the driver looks over to check them.
The Etos is fitted with eight exterior cameras providing 180-degree views in front of and behind the vehicle. Objects and people within the cameras' field of vision are tracked when driving, while a ‘kerb view’ is designed to aid parking.
One of the car’s most intriguing features is a drone mounted at the rear. The drone can be launched from the rear of the car to stream journeys over the internet. The drone’s LED landing pad can be programmed to become 'a visual dance floor', too.
The Etos is based on the BMW i8 and features that car’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, which mates a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. The Etos is claimed to reach 62mph in 4.4 seconds, and has a top speed of 155mph.
Add your comment