The car of tomorrow will only be good enough for you if its able to create some form of bond with you, and a rapport with everyone else. That seems to be the premise of the latest concept car from Hyundai parts supplier Mobis, the M.Vision S, unveiled at the 2020 edition of CES in Las Vegas.

If the name rings a bell, its because Mobis has been toying with the idea for a while, presenting the M.Vision at the previous edition of CES. M.Vision S is an upgrade meant to showcase the evolution of future mobility technology in the form of a pod for shared mobility.

The idea

Hyundai Mobis believes that the driver of tomorrow will want, in addition to the possibility of being ferried around by AI in autonomous vehicles, to have a more personalizable AI they can bond with.

In the past, reliability and comfort were the key values of a car. Since most cars sold today are reliable and comfortable, to be competitive todays cars need to evolve to become a machine which can understand and empathize with the people inside, Mobis says.

When AI is able to understand human behavior (which Mobis believes can be done through facial recognition software and complicated algorithms), it will also be able to cater to certain needs before people even voice their desire. It will be able to predict moods and offer interactions based on that.

A car to cheer you up, chat you up, keep you safe

M.Vision S is a concept pod for urban mobility than blends together technologies for autonomous driving, electrification and connectivity. The focus in on connectivity, though: this is a vehicle that connects to everyone inside, and cars and pedestrians around it, and also allows people to connect with one another during the ride.

M.Vision S uses communication technology to send messages to other drivers or pedestrians. When the light inside is blue, it means the car is in self-driving mode, while yellow indicates a human operator is at the wheel. Lamps and front and rear displays can show messages to other drivers or to pedestrians, like Be careful, Go ahead or even more polite Good-byes.

The same communication technology allows the cars AI to read the passengers mood, by scanning their face for tell-tale signs right before they step inside. Accordingly, it can change the light and the music inside, to suit that mood, or even offer a word of comfort or a joke if need be.

Suppose the driver is in a great mood for some reason. Then the system could throw a joke or respond in much more casual tone like an old friend to a voice command, Mobis says. For example, it could say something like Ive got it when asked to turn on the radio. It could make a silly remarks. Or it could keep silent when it seems like that is the best thing to do. Sometimes it is best to just say nothing, you know.A shared mobility pod designed like a lounge

M.Vision S is meant for shared mobility, so the space inside has been rearranged to resemble a lounge that works just as well for chilling and for work. The power components, suspension, braking and the steering are packaged at the 4 corners, so the floor is low and flat. This allows for changing seating arrangements, depending on the purpose of the ride (fun or business) and the driving mode of the car (self-driving or human-operated).

Put it differently, if one of the passengers wishes to take over, one of the chair detaches and moves to the dash, from where a wheel pops up. Seating arrangements can also be modified for business meetings or to enable passengers to view their favorite movie or TV show, for instance. The premium KRELL sound system was included with the latter purpose in mind.

Commands will be made through gestures (virtual space touch), and the car will connect to everyones smartphone the moment they set foot inside.

This is not the car of an Orwellian future, though

So much technology packed into a car, able to nearly peer into the human soul the thought is enough to send chills down the spine and put thoughts of an Orwellian future into the mind. Still, Mobis is not concerned about having their cars read peoples emotions like that.

A machine can learn everything there is to learn about a person, from how they feel to who they talk to on the phone, by email or on social media, and still not pose a risk.

Such concerns can be alleviated with powerful security technology but there could be people who just do not want to take such risks, Mobis concedes. Its researchers believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

Originally posted here:
Concept Cars of the Future Hyundai Mobis M.Vision S Can Predict Your Mood - autoevolution