Geneva Motor Show 2017: autonomous flying cars, self-driving tech, more - SiliconANGLE

• Updated on: 2018-09-10
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After two press days, the 87thGeneva Motor Showofficially opens up to the public today and runs until Mar. 19. One of the biggest events in the European automotive calendar, the Geneva Motor Show is attended by the biggest manufacturers to showcase their production cars for 2017.

The motor show is also an opportunity for manufacturers to unveil their autonomous concept cars that could possibly make it into production one day.

Here’s a look at the various cars that have been unveiled with self-driving technology, as well as smart tires:

Airbus Group SE and Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A has unveiled it’s autonomous, modular flying car concept called thePop.Up(pictured) at the Geneva Motor Show.

Still very much a concept at this stage, the Pop.Up vehicles would form part of an on-demand transportation system and riders could summon one using an app. The capsule-based design, together with Its onboard artificial intelligence platform would connect to either ground or air conveyance modules based on the rider’s destination and their habits.

Airbus also said that the Pop.Up could also be compatible with hyperloop systems, once the technology is more widely available.

While you won’t be booking a ride in the Pop.Up anytime soon, Airbus and Italdesign has given attendees of the Geneva Motor Show a possible glimpse into the future of transport.

Another ride-hailing concept is theSedricunveiled by Volkswagen Group AG at the Geneva Motor Show. The Sedric has been designed for level 5 of autonomous driving, which means it won’t require a human driver. The autonomous van can be summoned using a button, which will change color when the Sedric arrives and vibrate for the benefit of visually impaired riders.

Thei-TRIL, which was developed by Toyota Motors Europe together with the company’s ED2 design studio in Nice, is a very small, three seater, electric car. According to the company, the i-TRIL is the company’s vision for urban mobility in 2030. It is aimed at 30 to 50-year old moms who are busy transporting their kids up and down in a small to medium-sized suburban town.

The i-TRIL weighs just 1,300 pounds and is only 9 feet, 3 inches long. According to Toyota, the i-TRIL is also capable of driving autonomously and would have a range of 124 miles.

In addition to various car manufacturers unveiling their vehicles with self-driving technology, Peugeot SA is also showcasing itsInstinct concept car, which was initially unveiled at last week’s Mobile World Congress. The Peugeot Instinct concept can adjust its self-driving modes based on how the driver is feeling.

After being teased at the end of January, BMW Group has unveiled its new “semi-autonomous”5 Series Touring.

The BMW 5 Series Touring has driver assist and safety features including collision and pedestrian warning with city braking, cross traffic warning and active side collision protection. It also has steering and lane control assistance up to speeds of 130mph.

The latest 5 Series Touring has the latest-generation BMW Head-Up Display that has a 70 percent larger projection surface. The vehicle also includes gesture control, night vision assistance, a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless charging and integrated Apple CarPlay software.

The new 5 Series Touring will go on sale in June.

The Hyundai Motor Co. has unveiled a new Ioniq, which looks very similar to the company’s standard model, but differs in that this concept is autonomous.

TheAutonomous Ioniqfeatures various self-driving systems, including Smart Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist and LiDAR technology. Its three cameras are able to detect pedestrian proximity, lane markings and traffic signals. While the Autonomous Ioniq’s GPS antenna is able to determine the location of each vehicle on Hyundai’s high-definition mapping data.

Attendees of the Geneva Motor Show can experience a drive in an autonomous car at Hyundai’s stand through two virtual-reality cockpits.  

At the Geneva Motor Show, Pirelli & C. SpA announced itsPirelli Connessotechnology that can be embedded into its P Zero or Winter Sottozero tires. The sensor is embedded into the wall of the tire, which gathers relevant tire information and sends it to the driver via an app.

The sensor will send the driver data including tire temperature, pressure, vertical loads, tire wear and the distance the tire has traveled. Via the app, the driver will be able to locate the nearest Pirelli dealership for maintenance or order tires as needed.

As the technology for autonomous cars progresses so too must the technology for the tires used by these cars. One such company looking ahead is The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. who unveiled itsEagle 360 Urban tire concept, which is powered by artificial intelligence.  

The Eagle 360 Urban tire concept is spherical and would be able to move an autonomous car in any direction. Its “bionic skin” with embedded sensors would be able to detect changes in road surface and detect rain or snow.

Depending on the road surface detected by the sensors, the Eagle 360 Urban tire’s onboard virtual intelligence would be able to automatically change both the shape of the tire and its tread.