Reutlingen University has a focus on interior design, which in this day and age is critical in the car design industry. This year, graduate Zhesheng Li developed the LX-GO vehicle concept, an interior project for an autonomous vehicle that aims to meet the user’s needs for communication, information and privacy through maximum flexibility.
Developed as part of the thesis ‘Investigation and Design Concept Development for an Autonomous Sharing Vehicle Interior as a Basis for Future City Traffic’, the LX-GO vehicle concept shows new approaches for an autonomous sharing vehicle interior, which is constantly changing to cater to different markets and users.
The interior features accommodation for five people, and can be reconfigured according to the users desires. A large horizontal screen nestled in the IP serves as the main user interface area, displaying vehicle information as well as infotainment, while another large screen and voice and fingerprint activated interface on the side allows a more personalized user experience. The minimal aesthetic is at once calming yet technologically advanced, with lighting strips lining the vehicle cabin.
As the speed of life steadily increases with the development of society and time, social contact and personal deceleration are increasingly gaining importance and value. Space and time are the most important topics in future megacities. People living in megacities commute every day between A and B and need innovative means of transport to meet their mobility and social needs.
Innovative technologies, artificial intelligence and the new ‘sharing’ lifestyle will play crucial roles in the future in the highly developed, highly differentiated and coordinated city. While the physical quality of life plays an important role within the development of society, so too does the sensual quality of life. The fulfillment of emotional needs is becoming increasingly important for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Urban mobility – and car sharing in particular – is evolving from the service economy to the experience economy, going from a system that meets material needs to an economic system that meets psychological needs. Li’s LX-GO vehicle concept answers the question of shared autonomous spaces with a sophisticated and elegant proposal.
