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MIT's Affective Intelligent Driving Agent is KITT and Clippy's lovechild (video)

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 30th 2009 at 4:48AM

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times, stop trying to make robots into "friendly companions!" MIT must have some hubris stuck in its ears, as its labs are back at it with what looks like Clippy gone 3D, with an extra dash of Knight Rider-inspired personality. What we're talking about here is a dashboard-mounted AI system that collects environmental data, such as local events, traffic and gas stations, and combines it with a careful analysis of your driving habits and style to make helpful suggestions and note points of interest. By careful analysis we mean it snoops on your every move, and by helpful suggestions we mean it probably nags you to death (its own death). Then again, the thing's been designed to communicate with those big Audi eyes, making even our hardened hearts warm just a little. Video after the break.

Gallery: MIT's Affective Intelligent Driving Assistant

Continue reading MIT's Affective Intelligent Driving Agent is KITT and Clippy's lovechild (video)

Stanford builds robotic Audi for racing, robotic Volkswagen for parking

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 26th 2009 at 5:59PM

You can make a robotic car, and you can make a robotic car -- and it looks like Stanford is leading the charge on the no compromises approach with its new driverless Audi TTS. That, of course, is only the latest in a long line of robotic cars from the folks at Stanford, and it looks like it's also by far their most ambitious, as it's going above and beyond the usual DARPA challenges in the hope of breaking a few records and winning a few races. In fact, the car apparently already holds the "unofficial" speed record for an automous car at 130 miles per hour and, in the long term, Stanford hopes that it'll be able to complete the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which stretches some twenty kilometers and includes no less than 156 turns. To balance all that adreneline, the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory at Stanford has also developed a new VW Passat "valet system" that may not win any races, but can sure do some mean parallel parking. Videos of both after the break, more details a few hands-off impressions courtesy of BotJunkie at the links below.

Read - BotJunkie, "Stanford's New Robotic Audi TTS Knows How To Drift, Will Tackle Pikes Peak Next Year"
Read - BotJunkie, "VAIL Demonstrates Autonomous Valet Parking System"

Continue reading Stanford builds robotic Audi for racing, robotic Volkswagen for parking

Volkswagen L1 concept is crazy efficient, could ship in 2013

by Darren Murph posted Sep 18th 2009 at 5:33AM

Look, it's a well-known fact that the world is ending in either 2012 or when the Large Hadron Collider starts back up (whichever comes first). But, assuming neither of those scenarios actually cause planet Earth to fold in on itself, you should have some pretty swank Volkswagens to choose from in 2013. Just days after hearing that the highly-anticipated E-Up! concept would be landing in around four years, VW is now proclaiming that the L1 concept you see above could also hit production at the same time. What's odd, however, is that the automaker is already calling this the "most fuel-efficient automobile in the world," but at 170MPG, you'd think the suits at Chevy would have a thing or two to say about it. At least in theory, the hybrid TDI vehicle can cruise 100 kilometers on just 1.38 liters of diesel, but we'll wait until the EPA gets a go before buying in completely.

Volkswagen E-Up! concept rolls into Frankfurt, hits the road in 2013

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 15th 2009 at 4:53PM

Volkswagen's E-Up! concept vehicle has been making the rounds for a little while now, but it looks like the automaker has really stepped up its game (and hype machine) for its appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where it also took the opportunity to announce a launch date. That will apparently happen sometime in 2013, when Volkswagen hopes that the vehicle will become nothing short of "the Beetle of the 21st century." A lofty goal to be sure, but the E-Up! does have quite a bit going for it compared to other all-electric vehicles, including a new "lightweight," five hundred pound lithium-ion battery pack, a promised range of 130 kilometers, a full recharge in less than five hours, and even some solar panels on the roof and the sun visors to add a bit of extra power to the car's electrical system. Hit up the link below for the complete rundown, and plenty of pics courtesy of our pals at Autoblog Green.

Video: Intel-backed Volkswagen infotainment system gets demonstrated

by Darren Murph posted May 20th 2009 at 6:41PM

Volkswagen has been known to dabble in exotic places when it comes to in-dash entertainment, and while it's latest initiative isn't totally far-fetched, it's still worth a peek. The automaker has recently teamed up with Intel in order to develop a prototype head unit that's completely self-enclosed, meaning that there's no carputer hanging out in the trunk handling the dirty work. The touchscreen-based infotainment center shown in the video past the break is rocking Windows XP underneath and gladly accepts a number of gesture-based inputs. For example, motorists can swipe down to play or pause a track, while swiping left or right anywhere on the panel moves the playlist forward or back. The project manager doesn't bother to say when this stuff will actually hit the showroom floor, but CNET has it that you'll be waiting at least three years -- and that's if you're lucky.

[Via CNET]

Continue reading Video: Intel-backed Volkswagen infotainment system gets demonstrated

Automakers agree on common plug to recharge electric vehicles

by Darren Murph posted Apr 19th 2009 at 4:24PM

Just hours after General Motors put forth a proposal for a standardized plug for electric vehicles, in flies this. German energy firm RWE has stated that a cadre of respected automakers and energy firms have all come together in agreement on a three-point, 400-volt plug that will enable electric cars the world over to be recharged anywhere, regardless of which recharging station they stop at. Caroline Reichert, an RWE spokeswoman, noted that the idea here is to ensure that "a car can be recharged in Italy in exactly the same way as in Denmark, Germany or France." We're told that the agreement includes nods of acceptance from the likes of Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Fiat, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Eon, Vattenfall, EDF, Npower, Endesa and Enel, and while there's no time frame for when it'll be introduced, we're pretty stoked to hear that at least something has been decided upon.

Volkswagen and Toshiba to link up on electric drive systems

by Darren Murph posted Feb 13th 2009 at 10:04AM

Volkswagen sure is talking tough about going green, but we've yet to actually see any of these long-teased concepts hit the show floor. In case a plug-in Twin Drive hybrid just wasn't enough to look forward to, the suits in Wolfsburg have just inked a letter of intent with Toshiba in order to form a collaborative agreement that will see the two working together in the development of "electric drive units and the accompanying power electronics for Volkswagen's planned New Small Family." If rumors prove accurate, the NSF crew will mimic that Up! concept we've been drooling over for ages, and if you were wondering where the batteries would be coming from, this here arrangement suggests that it'll be from within the partnership. Oh, and you want a launch date, don't you? How about "forever from now," or as VW's Dr. Martin Winterkorn put it: "A considerable amount of research and development work still has to be carried out until we can produce the electric vehicle."

Continue reading Volkswagen and Toshiba to link up on electric drive systems

Audi confirms pure electric car, will likely be based on VW Up! concept

by Darren Murph posted Oct 8th 2008 at 12:31PM

With an electric MINI Cooper just around the bend, a Twin Drive hybrid Volkswagen landing in 2010 and Chevrolet's Volt rolling into showrooms in a matter of months, Audi's ten-year plan is looking a little awkward. Though we've yet to hear that it's actually speeding things up, Peter Schwarzenbauer, who sits on the management board at Ingolstadt, recently confirmed that the company would be offering "a pure electric car" sometime in the future. Additionally, rumors of it being based on the A1 were dashed, opening the door for speculation that it will instead be built around the VW Up! (Lupo) concept. Here's hoping we find our prior to 2018.

[Via Autoblog]

Volkswagen prepping a plug-in "Twin Drive" hybrid for 2010

by Paul Miller posted Jun 27th 2008 at 8:45AM

You know how we love plug-in hybrids around these parts, particularly if they're actually going to get built -- crazy, we know. Now it looks like Volkswagen is going to get into the game, with a "Twin Drive" Golf powered by a 122 horsepower diesel engine and 82 horsies of electric motor. The car should debut around 2010, and VW plans on spending $769 million on the project, helped along by a $23.5 million program put in place by the German government to help along such development. The car, which uses the electric motor for primary power, supplemented by the diesel motor and regenerative braking for extra juice, should be able to squeeze about 31 miles out of its Sanyo-developed lithium-ion batteries in all-electric mode.

Is Apple's iCar in a German auto magazine? Probably not.

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jun 13th 2008 at 11:57PM

Sure, we've heard rumors about a possible iCar before, but it's not every day that a German auto magazine (Autobild, in this case) throws some wacky VW concept with an iPod touch floating above it on its cover. We know that the two companies have collaborated in the past, with old Jobsy and Volkswagen head Martin Winterkorn supposedly sipping brandy and regaling each other with tales of their salad days, but up until now the closest we've seen to an actual product was that Space Up! blue concept interior from back in November of last year. Will you finally have the perfect set of wheels to dock your iPhone on the go? Doubtful... but feel free to dream.

[Via Autoblog]

Volkswagen to produce 1-Liter car in 2010, should get over 200MPG

by Darren Murph posted May 9th 2008 at 9:18AM

Although you can definitely pre-order an Aptera if you're okay with space-aged design, Volkswagen is hoping to provide another option for those looking for ridiculous MPG and a little bit of normalcy in construction. Okay, so maybe the 1-Liter isn't exactly standard fare -- with its plastic / magnesium shell and all-glass roof -- but at least it packs four whole wheels and an iconic VW badge, right? According to Motor Authority, the automaker will be producing said vehicle and pushing it to market as early as 2010, and while the minuscule engine will only take you to 75MPH, it will still seat two people -- one in front of the other, though -- and get around 235MPG. No word on a price or any of that good stuff, but we're hearing that they'll only be produced in "limited numbers" whenever they're launched.

[Via EcoGeek, thanks Yossi]

Audi aims to produce electric car within ten years

by Darren Murph posted May 5th 2008 at 10:53AM

Although Audi isn't aiming to beat Chevrolet to the punch with an electric whip, it does plan on joining the party a bit further down the road -- according to company bigwig Rupert Stadler, that is. Based on an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag, Mr. Stadler noted that he expected diesel and battery technology to dominate within five to ten years, and he made mention that "by then, [Audi] would offer cars without exhaust emissions." Curiously enough, he also stated that "electric cars offer opportunities, which [the company has] already seized on," but alas, he didn't elaborate beyond that. Just to confirm, we've got you, me and a whisper-quiet ride in five- to ten-years? It's a date.

[Via News]

Video: VW's Park Assist Vision helps bridge and tunnelers park in the big scary city

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 7:30AM

Volkswagen is showing off its new Park Assist Vision technology at the Hanover Fair in Germany. Unlike VW's previous attempts, this version of Park Assist is fully automatic. As such, the driver-turned-spectator can stand outside the car while the Passat maneuvers its way into cramped spots with the help of external cameras and proximity sensors. The driver selects his space on the monitor of the navigation system and then sets the vehicle into "P" mode. It's just a trial for now so you'll still have to get by with the ol' bump-smile-n-flirt approach that's gotten you and your Aquanet hair into the city up until now. Video demonstration after the break.

[Via Gizmag]

Continue reading Video: VW's Park Assist Vision helps bridge and tunnelers park in the big scary city

Is the VW Space Up! interface developed by Apple?

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 16th 2007 at 8:31AM

Nice interior huh? And how 'bout that 7-inch touchscreen display slapped onto the center console. Pretty sweet right? You're looking at the inside of VW's third iteration of their Space Up! -- the Space Up! blue -- just revealed at the LA auto show. Now try this on. Reader Joona wonders if this is the result of recent collaborations between Apple and VW. After thinking about it some, we're starting to wonder too. As Autoblog describes it, the concept touchscreen monitor "controls all conceivable functions" and is meant to demonstrate how future human-machine interfaces might look and operate. The touchscreen (no mention of multi-touch support) uses proximity sensors to react to gestures, apparently, without actually touching the display. The user can simply touch the "main menu carousel" to navigate to the desired category or manipulate the system with simple hand gestures near the display. Autoblog says, "Visually, this control is just as spectacular as it is intuitive." Now, chew on this for a second. VW announced earlier this week that all new VW models in ~~2008~~ 2009 will have touchscreens. Is this what Apple has in store for us at January's MacWorld? Who knows, but it's a compelling story, eh? Now, anyone have a video of this in action? A few more pics after the break.

Update: Found a video on YouTube. It's a slightly older version of the Space Up! revealed in Tokyo but the control panel looks the same. Interface in action at about 1:10 in and then again at 4:00.

Update 2: Jumpin' Johosephat, reader Rat128 just nailed it. That looks like cover flow on the dashboard. In fact, that artwork is from Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams... an Apple fave.

Update 3: Second video found courtesy of Edmonds Car Space showing a slightly different design of the carousel in much more detail, quirks and all.

Read -- All VWs to get touch screens
Read -- Space Up! blue

Continue reading Is the VW Space Up! interface developed by Apple?

Apple rumor-roundup for September 5th event

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 3rd 2007 at 11:04AM

Check your pulse Apple fanatics, "the beat goes on" September 5th... now just two days away. Unusual for Apple rumors, this event has pretty much all the analysts and so-called insiders in sync with their predictions. Mass disillusion or divine soothsaying, we don't know. Certainly everyone's been expecting this to be a big quarter for product transitions. While we wait, we figured you might as well get up to speed on all the predictions for Wednesday's big show:

iPod Touch with flash-memory, WiFi and OS X-based Cover Flow user interface
iPod nano "phatty"
Wireless iTunes store sales for iPhone and wireless iPod(s)
(PRODUCT) Red iPod shuffle
iTunes ringtone service
Beatles on iTunes -- yes, again

While not necessarily rumored for Wednesday, there's always a chance that we'll hear a bit more about Apple's automotive collaborations with Volkswagen and Jaguar. Just sayin's all.