*This article is reproduced from the autocarweekly WeChat account.
Author: Du Debiao
After 7 years of using the 2nd generation Surface Pro, I finally upgraded to the Surface Pro 8.
Apart from the heat generated by the new device, and the illusion of operating Apple devices due to my previous use of the MacBook Pro, there are potential buyers who are hesitating between the two brands, and are likely to be watching closely to see how Microsoft’s design can be equally enticing.
In fact, this machine is also quite appealing. Although the Windows 11 operating system has borrowed from OS to a limited extent, it can be considered as an indirect recognition of its competitor’s aesthetics.
Many pleasant surprises are manifested in the elastic functionality, such as temporarily hiding the open web pages in the browser on the left side, and expanding them when needed by moving the mouse cursor; and the groove for placing the stylus can be retracted at any time to make the keyboard form a slope, which may or may not be convenient for typing, but it adds a sense of ritual.
All of these ingenuities, I believe that Steve Jobs in heaven, will also change his previous “very boring” view on Microsoft.
The reason I have digressed is that nowadays everyone is a sensory animal. Even the most hardcore features need to be “externalized” through design. Just like how the iPhone 12 redesigns the metal frame to please its audience, and the iPhone 13 further thickens the phone to add texture.
Some car manufacturers have already realized this, but at this stage, the focus is still on the level of external appearance. In fact, it is difficult to create a significant difference in the design of intelligent electric cars, and the definition of “smart electric” technology has already come to a consensus among everyone. However, there is still room for improvement in the cabin design. What will the future intelligent electric car models evolve into? IM Auto has given its own answer.
Is Art the Imaginary Enemy of Technology?
According to IM’s prediction, “the number of shapes of future intelligent electric vehicles will tend to be simplified. Perhaps, SUVs, MPVs, and sedans will merge into one. With the development of intelligent driving technology (here, IM is implying that their own driving assistance system is reliable, which will be discussed later), people’s attention will shift from driving to the inside of the car.
In other words, people will still rely primarily on “design” in the future, but it will be the interior design. For example, the “mass production concept car” AIRO brought by IM at this year’s auto show, which adopts a Uni-BOX body structure without B-pillars and a “swan-neck” double-opening door design.
The car is designed with four rotating seats. In the ideal state, when L5 level autonomous driving is achieved, AIRO will become what the official description calls a mobile intelligent building. As a carrier that can support various functions, it takes on the attributes of a “home” and accompanies you on travels to various places. For example, in all kinds of preset postures – whether sitting, half-lying or fully reclining – it is like a mini motorhome.
The concept is based on the idea of treating the car as an extension of the house. However, it will undoubtedly assume more temporary roles after being put into production, such as providing adequate space for dining, work, playing games, or even sleeping. This is fundamentally different from simply “flattening” the seats of traditional cars and wandering in a state between half-sleep and half-awake.
AIRO’s design company, Hesvik, has stated: “To solve the problem of global space shortage, AIRO serves as a multi-functional room for dining, work, games, and even sleeping.”
This design is not the first time it has been introduced, but progress has been ongoing. According to Zhi Ji, the goose neck door, the new generation chassis, the layout of the body, and the magnetic suction scheme have all been advancing in engineering. In about two years’ time, AIRO will be officially launched on the market. The production version is expected to be highly similar to the current version, so the current version is called the “mass production concept car”.
The fusion of artistic design and hardcore technology is the cornerstone of Zhi Ji’s definition of future mobile travel, and the core of this cornerstone is still the user. How to impress young users? They may say they want to “lie flat”, but their inner desire for decency is stronger than anyone else. They like to buy original design exquisite life products, are fond of the Dyson series because of its attractive appearance, and have a fascination with Harman Kardon’s crystal subwoofer not only because of its excellent sound quality.
The threshold for intelligent travel that AIRO advocates is not just about technology, but about this more artistic lifestyle. On AIRO, your taste and style determine the color of your life, and the difference between “life” and “travel” is the different understanding of intelligent travel between Zhi Ji and most other brands in the industry.
Currently, the industry is overly focused on the competition among the new three major parts: chips, motors, and batteries, which is important but also somewhat boring. The cabin design is relatively solidified and lacks room for exploration. Zhi Ji has shifted the focus from travel to “mobile homes,” which has suddenly opened up new possibilities.## Introduction
In terms of scenarios, the modular magnetic suction design and hot shoe architecture can further expand the functions inside the car, where fixing various accessories is the most imaginable scene, such as lamps, cup holders, refrigerators, and cat scratching boards. Or sucking on a switch and turning it into a game room or a dressing table, embellishing the bedroom.
Moreover, inviting three to five friends for a small gathering inside the car can provide privacy, or even turning it into a bedroom at night and switching to a studio during the day, saving on rent and serving as a startup base, which is both economical and exquisite.
AIRO can be regarded as a “DIY” architecture for future car owners. The so-called intelligence is not only about the communication between AI and humans, but also human beings still have the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of manual operation. For AIRO, the definition of future scenarios is an expandable and customizable space, which essentially transforms the autonomy of driving into the autonomy of spatial arrangement and utilization.
This is what corresponds to and continues to stimulate people’s creative instincts, rather than blindly relying on AI.
Cube-A Platform
Why can there be such rich expansion space? Because the platform architecture has changed, and the starting point is different.
In addition to supporting the structural design of the car body as a mobile building, IM AIRO’s new platform Cube-A also supports it as an organic body for growth and evolution. For example, the chip computing power of intelligent driving and cabin can be arrayed for unlimited expansion. In the future, hardware and software such as batteries, screens, electronic architectures, and car systems can be iterated agilely.
IM AIRO is not the first manufacturer to propose the concept of “mobile space”, but it is one of the few to package “mobile building” aesthetics, including unlimited expansion of software and hardware and magnetic suction architecture, into the R&D and planned production of the whole car.
Tesla may have pioneered the technology of smart electric vehicles, but there are still large blank spaces inside the car for space layout, and even the definition of the whole car from inside to outside is backwards. IM AIRO is expected to provide an answer within two years.
Of course, to achieve “completely free cabin behavior”, advanced level of autonomous driving assistance technology is also required, where L7, which has already been released, has more say in this regard.
How Powerful is IM AIRO’s Intelligent Driving?
Before discussing autonomous driving, it is also worth taking a look at the technical points of the L7 as there are many independent thoughts involved in them. This DNA also extends to the differences between intelligent driving technology and other companies.
In the strategic vision of IM, AIRO follows the art route with the design and architecture of the cabin reflecting this. It will be the advanced form of future intelligent electric vehicles. On the other hand, L7&LS7 follow the technology line and represent the current and innovative technology group associated with tradition.
At the Guangzhou Auto Show, the IM booth was one of the few-star areas that did not require performance parameters for interpretation. Even if L7 has impressive performance figures such as 0-100 acceleration in 3.87 seconds and 32.69-meter braking distance, IM’s pride is that it can make such a large vehicle of more than 5 meters move smoothly during turns and U-turns through its four-wheel steering technology. Unlike most new cars that unconsciously pile up parameters, IM prefers to introduce itself through user experience.
We have seen many violent outputs, but there are not many products in the industry that focus on delicate handling. In addition to the internal competition, the mindset is somewhat rigid. IM boldly links its turning technology to that of traditional luxury cars, which is relatively calm compared to other players.
IM believes that technology is not used to show off but to get close to the user’s driving scenario. For example, the IMOS air navigation system can display the 2-kilometer long lane horizontally on the big screen. During peak periods, the driver can accurately understand the road conditions ahead and decide when to change lanes.
In the early release of the intelligent driving road test video, the impressive feature of IM IM AD was not only the ability to navigate automatically on urban streets but also the timely perception and decision under sudden situations such as being cut in line and e-bike attacks. The degree of decision-making action was transitional, ensuring passenger comfort. Especially when changing lanes to the far right lane during peak hours, the progressive lane change method is quite professional.
This is a humanistic consideration. Stopping suddenly is not the same as remaining calm. The abruptness and linearity of the delicate differences will be the next competitive level of the intelligent driving technology in addition to reliability within the industry.“`markdown
There may be some users who have doubts about the future system upgrades, especially in terms of hardware. L7 supports Orin chips and lidar upgrades, which is a pioneering software and hardware upgrade service in the industry by IM.
The way to obtain it can be through the user data equity exchange. IM regards user data as the driving force for the advancement of autonomous driving. Many low-probability scenarios that users may encounter will be turned into paid data, which will be absorbed by IM and fed back to users’ autonomous driving assist systems as updated versions.
Summary
IM’s gameplay is quite diverse, and the value it expresses is actually “great perfection and lack.” If the industry has a general consensus on intelligent electric vehicles, it is just an endless suspense drama, so sustainable evolution and rapid iteration are the best ways to keep up with or lead the rhythm.
The fact that several parts of AIRO have entered the engineering rhythm can be regarded as the advantage that IM occupies on the research and development and travel definition levels. The level and evolutionary space of the product ultimately depend on the creator’s perspective, which requires the latter to not only be an engineer but also a “lifestyle expert.”
It is IM’s persistence to make concepts land and give users’ future car life more artistic sense. Of course, technology is still the trump card against peers, but here are examples of Dyson or Harman Kardon. Success will generally belong to brands that have both strength and taste.
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This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.