The countdown has begun. Starting in 2020 Volkswagen will be launching, in quick succession, newly developed electric vehicles with long driving ranges and visionary design: the I.D. Family. Three I.D. models have already been presented as concept cars: the compact I.D.; an SUV model, the I.D. CROZZ; and a van/MPV, the I.D. BUZZ. Now, at the Geneva International Motor Show (8 to 18 March), Volkswagen is presenting the new automotive highlight of the I.D. Family: the I.D. VIZZION – a next-generation, avant-garde premium class saloon. It drives autonomously and is operated by voice and gesture control. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is will be capable of learning. It is a fascinating Volkswagen of tomorrow, which will be opening a portal to the future in Geneva.
Travel and space reinterpreted. The I.D. VIZZION transfers the charismatic design DNA of the I.D. models – the design of Volkswagen electric mobility – to the world of large saloons. The models achieve their status through a new, intelligent interpretation of travel and space. The mobile interior – the 'open space' – is thought out anew here, so that the time spent on short and long trips in daily living can be utilised more productively and flexibly. Choosing a car like the I.D. VIZZION is an expression of a deliberate decision by its users – regardless of whether it is used in a sharing arrangement or is owned outright.
Real and virtual worlds become one. Interaction with the I.D. VIZZION is performed virtually via augmented reality (AR). Here, a vision of the year 2030 is being provided with respect to truly comprehensive connectivity. A world of mobility is coming in which nearly everything is conceivable and possible. The car's communications technology has advanced to become a host, a virtual assistant which is capable of learning and responds empathically. The I.D. VIZZION delivers one thing above all: more personal freedom. That is because it is a smart device on wheels that does not require a driver and thereby becomes a chauffeur. Because it is so comprehensively connected that it is part of the digital world. Because it gives all on-board guests (there is no driver) the freedom to relax, communicate, work and set the next destination for the I.D. VIZZION while on the road. Thanks to the intuitive interaction between human and machine via augmented reality and newly designed mixed reality eyewear – the HoloLens developed by Microsoft – as well as natural language control, the I.D. VIZZION is designed to be fully intuitive and therefore easy for users to operate. The largest of any of the Volkswagen I.D. models presented to date will become a mobile living space that can be comprehensively personalised through the interactive lounge or 'open space'.
Progressive All-New Electric Architecture. In presenting the I.D. VIZZION, Volkswagen is showing the great potential embodied by the All-New Electric Architecture of the I.D. Family. Based on this technical matrix, Volkswagen will be able to cover the entire spectrum of electric mobility. The concept car being presented in Geneva is also further proof that Volkswagen is not leaving any scenario unexamined on the road to the future. Like all of the other I.D. models shown previously, the I.D. VIZZION is far more than just a projection screen for the future. In its fluid, monolithic design and progressive All-New Electric Architecture it reflects how Volkswagen envisions an electrically powered premium class saloon. While, as mentioned, user operation via augmented reality gives an outlook on the year 2030, fully automated driving on Level 5 is already conceivable starting in 2025. The design of the I.D. VIZZION, its electric all-wheel drive system with two electric motors that deliver a system power of 225 kW, a high-voltage battery with 111 kWh of energy capacity and a driving range of up to 665 kilometres are all part of the very near future. The I.D. VIZZION clearly shows just how fascinating the mobility of tomorrow will be. That is because the automobile still has its best times ahead of it. It will become cleaner, more efficient and safer than ever. With autonomous driving, the car will also be open to completely new users. And that will happen earlier than many people anticipate today – at the latest by the middle of the next decade.
Artificial intelligence. The I.D. VIZZION concept car is one of the first cars to have the future potential of 'artificial intelligence' incorporated into its concept. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to programmes capable of self-learning which execute algorithms to recognise, evaluate and interpret patterns. Over time, these systems continue to learn more, which also enables them to react to new situations. Therefore, the concept of 'artificial intelligence' really signifies no less than a revolution in programming. Whereas today's software engineers write programmes and thereby implement characteristics in automobiles that are highly innovative but not yet capable of learning, soon programmes will be used that utilise 'machine learning'. This 'machine learning' of tomorrow is an important step on the path towards the 'artificial intelligence' of the future after tomorrow. 'Machine learning' and 'artificial intelligence' will make vehicle concepts like that of the I.D. VIZZION possible. It is a car that combines mobility on the highest level with intelligent services – a kind of intelligent chauffeur. That is precisely what the I.D. VIZZION does. Volkswagen is promoting AI development for automobiles in a big way. The path to this goal can be partitioned into three phases: 'conventional programming' (today), 'machine learning' (immediate future) and 'artificial intelligence' (future).
- 'Conventional programming' — the present. Unlike the I.D. VIZZION of tomorrow, today's vehicles still do not possess artificial intelligence. Instead, developers currently define comprehensive programme code that describes all aspects of system behaviour. The Lane Assist lane-keeping assistant uses a conventional, model-based programme, for instance. Its developers have precisely described mathematical parameters for visual recognition of lane markings. In their programming, the developers must, of course, also incorporate all sorts of deviations – such as missing or interrupted lane markings – so that they can handle all conceivable scenarios. The optical information supplied by the front camera is then compared with the mathematical description of lane markings, and if they agree Lane Assist is activated and ready to intervene.
- 'Machine learning' – the immediate future: Programs are now being trained to learn very complex parameters. In this training process, they learn to deduce unknown facts based on 'machine learning'. At Volkswagen, for example, 'machine learning' is being used in the interpretation of the vehicle environment by what are referred to as peripheral cameras (in the exterior mirrors and at the front and rear ends). The reason: the environmental recognition system of a Volkswagen must now be able to differentiate many different visual patterns from one another. For example, the cameras must recognise whether they are 'seeing' a truck, passenger car, pedestrian or bicycle rider. 'Conventional programming' of these patterns (similar to the lane markings of Lane Assist) is a challenge. 'Machine learning' offers a solution to this challenge. In this process, developers 'feed-in' an image recognition algorithm with thousands of training data – images of trucks, passenger cars, pedestrians and bicycle riders. This allows the algorithm to learn in a machine-like way. It trains with images to distinguish between the different road users. This enables the implementation of new functions. But 'machine learning' still is not 'artificial intelligence'."
- 'Artificial intelligence' – the future. 'Artificial intelligence' requires a programme that can draw its own conclusions autonomously, which allows it to make its own decisions. The I.D. VIZZION concept with its interactive assistant is based on this. The automobiles of tomorrow will operate with far fewer control elements, and with controls that can be operated fully intuitively. Assistants like the system integrated in the I.D. VIZZION adapt more perfectly to its users from day to day, because they are capable of learning. The system recognizes their needs and tastes – such as seat and air conditioning settings and their favourite playlists, and it activates them autonomously as a function of the context and situation. The Volkswagen of tomorrow will thereby become a friendly companion and the ideal chauffeur. Hardware and software will be optimally synchronized by the Volkswagen car's 'artificial intelligence'. For autonomous driving, this also includes the essential laser and radar sensors, cameras and electronic control units. They independently share the data and derive the right driving manoeuvre based on their own decisions. That is 'artificial intelligence'. That is the I.D. VIZZION.
Safety, freedom, simplicity, 'at home'. Volkswagen has grouped key innovations of the I.D. VIZZION into four subject clusters. They show boldly how new technologies will quickly change peoples' lives and thereby improve them.
- SAFETY – car driving will be safer than ever with the I.D. VIZZION. Facial recognition is used to fundamentally ensure that this Volkswagen does not end up in the wrong hands. Voice and gesture control avoid faulty operation of controls. Interactively communicating projection headlights, which, for example, can beam virtual zebra stripes onto the road, protect pedestrians and bicycle riders. Ultimately, it is automated driving at its highest level (5) that will produce noticeable reductions in the number of accidents.
- FREEDOM – the freedom of the individual is greater in cars like the I.D. VIZZION. That is because autonomous driving on Level 5 gives every guest the opportunity to utilise their time in the vehicle with greater freedom and in a more practical way. Since the I.D. VIZZION exploits the potential of artificial intelligence and can therefore learn, it also adapts better and better each day to the needs of its on-board guests.
- SIMPLICITY – in a complicated world, the I.D. VIZZION makes life simpler. That is because its operation is intuitive. Manageable and tailor-made mobility for everyone. The Volkswagen becomes a digital assistant here. Augmented reality opens up an entirely new world of interaction and communication.
HOME – the open space of the I.D. VIZZION is a lounge on wheels. This lounge can be personalised by different travel modes. Whether it is used to relax, work, play or communicate – everything is possible in the open space. If the selected travel mode calls for it, the windows can be electro-chemically darkened, and disturbing environmental noises can be eliminated by active noise cancellation. The concept car utilises the sensors of fitness trackers and the HoloLens (Health Function Screening) to monitor the vital data of its guests and uses this information to control the air conditioning. In this way, the I.D. VIZZION becomes the mobile smart home of a new era.