With automakers looking to develop autonomous vehicles, now passengers (including the driver) will be free to relax, read, eat and drink, work and communicate with friends and associates while heading towards their destination. However, car designers will have to optimize autonomous driving circumstances to create comfortable environment within, as these car doesn’t require any assist and can move safely even in crowded city roads. Offering a new occupant package in autonomous vehicles, Hong Kong based automotive designer Gary Gu has developed a concept car named the RAY that flips passenger seats to help occupants change their positions for a comfortable ride.
Designed after an elegant marine creature, the Ray, the autonomous driving vehicle mounts an independent glass bubble on the chassis that apart from offering a clear view of the surroundings also projects all the information on the built-in head-up display (HUD), so you need not to look down on the meter cluster time and again.
Integrating the fuel cell, motor and hydrogen storage alloy elegantly into the chassis, thanks to the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), the concept vehicle mounts solar panels on the roof to provide energy for interior lighting and gadgets. Featuring a flexible configuration of the interior, the futuristic vehicle would let the passengers change the cockpit according to their needs and likings.
[Cheers Gary Gu]
