Manual or automatic. The ID. ROOMZZ is designed to have a new interior and seating concept. It provides a high degree of variability and customisability, ensuring that both the seating options and the driving mode meet the personal requirements of the passengers and driver. Background: The ID. ROOMZZ can, in contrast to the conventional manual mode (“ID Drive”), be fully automated (“ID. Pilot“). This allows for new seating configurations.
Welcome aboard. Four electric swing doors enable the passengers to enter the open space – a lounge on wheels for a life on the road. Thanks to their comfortable interiors, the ID. models of the future will – especially in “ID. Pilot” mode – be able to serve as a living space, making them more than just a mode of transport. At the heart of it all is the occupant, who can now make full use of their time – for communication, to relax, and to take care of any manner of business. Kinematics mean that the driver’s and front seat passenger’s door slide all the way forwards, while the rear doors move backwards. The entry and exit opening is very large, especially as there is no B pillar. When one of the doors is opened, the integrated seat rotates 20 degrees outward to make it easier for the passenger to enter the lounge (“ID. Entry”). On closing the door, the seat rotates to face the direction of travel. Meanwhile, the driver now has a new display and control landscape and a steering wheel with a touch panel and integrated display, all redesigned down to the last detail.
Fusion of dashboard and steering wheel. The ID. ROOMZZ is not fitted with a conventional dash panel. In comparison to conventional vehicles, the ID. family offers a completely new package. This provides much more space, especially at the front, enabling it to be customised differently. In addition, Volkswagen has consistently based the concept car on the fully automated “ID. Pilot” mode and tailored the digital cockpit and steering wheel to it.
“ID. Drive”. In the manual “ID. Drive” mode, the digital cockpit appears to hover in front of the driver along with the integrated steering wheel. The digital cockpit consists of a full glass-front panel. On the right-hand side of this panel, the 13.8-inch infotainment unit is integrated into a split screen and home button. The display is visually located in the centre of the vehicle, meaning it is easily reached by front-seat passengers and is easy to see for passengers in the back. The digitalised steering wheel is stylistically integrated into the panel. As well as sensitive touch-screen areas for handling the gear controls (P, R, N, D), it has a 5.8-inch display that shows relevant information such as navigation instructions in autonomous mode. There is also an AR head-up display, which shows information such as speed and warning signs. Thanks to Augmented Reality (AR), the head-up display also projects navigation instructions in the virtual space in front of the ID. ROOMZZ, enabling the system to show pictograms such as an arrow sign in the visual field where the driver has to turn off. Finally, the new “ID. Light” is integrated beneath the windscreen – this is an interactive light strip between the A-pillars through which the driver and passengers receive additional information. If the silent electric motors are ready for operation, this is shown by means of a light effect, as is the currently active driving mode (“ID. Drive” or “ID. Pilot”). Information regarding the assistance systems, navigation and the new CleanAir system are also displayed via the light effects in this LED strip. At the same time, corresponding information is provided via “ID. Light” in the doors; each passenger has their own light zone.
“ID. Pilot”. If the driver presses down for longer than five seconds on VW logo on the steering wheel, they trigger the fully automated “ID. Pilot” mode (level 4). The steering wheel transitions into the digital cockpit thanks to the “IQ. steering system”. At the same time, the entire control panel slides back, providing extra room in the Open Space. The other guests on board are made aware of autonomous driving mode via the “ID. Light” elements in the doors and roof area.
“ID. Light”. Every passenger on board the ID. ROOMZZ receives information intuitively via the new “ID. Light”. As already outlined, the “ID. Light” features are located in front of the windscreen, on the upper segments of the door panels (illuminated wood finish pattern), on the outer areas next to the large panoramic glass roof above the relevant seat (likewise in a decorative pattern), and on an “ID. Light” roof console. Information is supplied via animated sequences. The animation appears from the virtual B pillar to the relevant seat or passenger, respectively. For example, the decorative patterns in the door panels show a welcome and goodbye scenario when entering and leaving the vehicle, and respond to a mode switch for the relevant seat (see “Seat scenarios and light zones” section); the occupant sees this information intuitively via corresponding light effects. Their counterparts in the roof also indicate the current driving mode as well as the welcome and goodbye scenario. The “ID. Light” roof console is only active in the “ID Pilot” autonomous mode; this is where information, e.g. for the CleanAir system, is displayed along with the welcome and goodbye scenario (motors “on” / “off”), depending on the situation.
Seat scenarios and light zones. The ID. ROOMZZ is equipped with four integrated seats, which are configured differently and can be rotated. Overall, there are three different seating modes en route that correspond to the relevant driving mode. In the manual “ID. Drive” mode, the seats typically face forward while the backrests are up. If the driver switches to the fully automated “ID. Pilot” mode, the separate seats can be rotated inward 25 degrees to provide a very communicative atmosphere on board. When driving is fully automated, the driver can activate “ID. Pilot Relax” mode, in which every passenger can tailor the position of their seat to suit them – it can be moved from a standing to a reclined position in this mode. The driving and seating modes are combined with the individual light scenarios in “ID. Light”. The seat settings can be specified via touch fields, each of which is located in the outer front area of the seating areas; the touch fields for opening and closing the doors and side windows are also here. The series version of the ID. ROOMZZ will have up to seven seats.
Clean air in all conditions. A CleanAir system uses an active filter system to ensure that the air inside remains clean even if the ambient air isn’t. The driver and front-seat passenger can also access various pre-configured atmospheres such as “Breeze” or “Forest” via the infotainment system. The corresponding menu also provides information regarding air quality in the vehicle (air quality index) and current system activity.
Deliberate selection of materials and colours. Volkswagen is using ecologically sustainable materials in the interior of the ID. ROOMZZ. One example is the seats: They are covered with the new, visually appealing and tactile “AppleSkin™” material – an innovative material with the same technical properties as artificial leather. The difference is in the production method itself: “AppleSkin™“ consists of a proportion of residual matter from apple juice production. They are turned into a new raw material which replaces a chemical component. It is currently possible to replace 20 percent of polyurethane used exclusively up until now with apple leftovers using a process that was developed in-house especially for this purpose. The result is “AppleSkin™“, a new product which uses existing and sustainable resources. Another example is the concept car’s interior floor, which is made of oak and laid in a herringbone pattern. The Nordic influence of the oak (silver birch) perfectly complements the concept car’s extremely modern interior. Specially processed wooden veneers are also used in the “ID. Light” areas of the door panels. Volkswagen is using a new process here: “ligneah”. In this case, the veneer is applied to a textile carrier material and an individual pattern is created with a laser. The flexible material can be used in combination with a huge range of components, opening up a completely new spectrum with regard to using wood. The choice of colours and refraction in the interior was no less important for the designers. Various elements – such as the seat linings – are painted in White Gold. The subtle white gold particles perfectly complement the geometry and graphics in the interior. The colour & trim designers use microfibre for the headliner and roof pillars. This material absorbs light influences very well so that light effects can focus as much as possible on the decorative areas in the doors and the digital cockpit.