Electrically darkening glass surfaces. The I.D. VIZZION has an interior which enables a new dimension in travel. Here, passengers access – via doors that open a full 90 degrees – a mobile lounge whose comfort features exceed the boundaries of the premium class. It is the expanse of this space, the great potential for interactive connectivity and the ergonomics which have been tailored to people more systematically than ever which fascinate and elevate the interior design to a new level. Four ergonomically balanced integral seats (front seats have reclining function) form the centre of this world. Since the car recognises its occupants by biometric facial recognition or electronic device, such as a smartphone, it is able to call up settings from the cloud via the Volkswagen ID and automatically adjusts the seats for an individual occupant. The I.D. VIZZION also uses the profile for the Volkswagen ID to control parameters such as lighting, climate control, infotainment including streaming services and scents. Between the seats there is a centre console which is either open or closed, depending on the mode set for the interior. Unlike most interior concepts today, the interior is laid out like a lounge and not as a driver-focused space. This fully autonomously driving Volkswagen does not need any traditional driver's seat with cockpit. Therefore, the space was designed to surround the passengers like a cocoon, creating a relaxed atmosphere. Foot rests invite guests to relax. Contributing to this comfort are select materials such as vegetable-tanned leather (in 'San Tropez' colour) and natural, untreated woods from sustainable cultivation. The bright, congenial and relaxed atmosphere is reinforced by large side window surfaces and a continuous panoramic sunroof that runs from front to rear. To ensure that the transparency of the space is not too great, the glass surfaces can be darkened electronically. At maximum darkening, the privacy glass is nearly opaque.
Augmented reality. Since the I.D. VIZZION only drives fully autonomously, the car has no dash panel, as noted previously. The concept vehicle is primarily operated by gesture and voice control, which is how the occupants communicate with a virtual assistant. The driving destination is also communicated to the car by either voice control or a smart device. In addition, all guests aboard the I.D. VIZZION can, if they wish, use a HoloLens which projects a virtual interface into the real space by augmented reality. The interface is a virtual ring over which the occupants can communicate with the car and other digital devices by gesture control. This 'mixed reality' is already being used increasingly in the industrial field today, and it will also come to dominate in the automobile over the course of the next decade. The I.D. VIZZION is one of the first concept cars worldwide to enable an outlook on this world. Nonetheless, there are still two real rotary/pushbutton controls on the centre console of the I.D. VIZZION (one front, one rear) to enable the intuitive manual control of functions such as entertainment volume control that people are accustomed to. Simultaneously, this multifunctional element – in harmony with certain safety levels – can also be used to give general directional commands. In addition, the I.D. VIZZION can be stopped fully with this switch.
Assistant 'reacts' predictively. Thanks to the intuitively used augmented reality, which includes gesture and voice control, operation of the I.D. VIZZION is considerably simpler than we are accustomed to today. In addition, the virtual assistant aboard the I.D. VIZZION reacts predictively to a wide variety of events and relevant points of interest. For instance, if the car is approaching a traffic jam that cannot be avoided, the interactive assistant automatically communicates the new arrival time for the given destination. If there is a cafe along the route, which one of the guests would like to make use of, the assistant asks whether it should drive to the cafe or perhaps order a 'coffee to go' and pay for it. As described, the car can also be interconnected with all conceivable digital devices. These include – naturally only upon request – fitness trackers. Via these and/or the HoloLens, the I.D. VIZZION tracks the vital parameters of its passengers. For example, if it notices that someone is too hot, it adjusts the temperature downward for the area of that passenger via indirect ventilation of the four-zone automatic air conditioner. Providing for an optimum, customised in-car climate is Volkswagen's newly developed CleanAir system. Regardless of the ambient conditions, it continually maintains the air quality inside the I.D. VIZZION at an ideal level. This is done by the use of an active filter system.
Interior and interaction are adaptive. Three different travel modes can be activated on-board via the personal assistant: 'Relax', 'Active' and 'Family'. In the Active mode, for example, the passenger can sit as usual, work, communicate, play and call up information on the drive. As soon as a guest activates 'Relax' mode, a foot rest extends out and relaxed music is played; in this case, the ambient lighting switches to a warm colour. In addition, various scenarios can be called up via the HoloLens. They include the digital modes 'Business', 'Navigation', 'Entertain', 'Communication' and – especially for any children on-board – 'Learning'. The projections that are customised for each mode are shown in the user's visual field as augmented reality via the HoloLens. The 'Business' mode, for instance, makes it possible to participate in meetings by video chat or easily process e-mails and presentations. Under 'Learning', children can call up games and learning apps. They can also look at such content as the positions of our planets animated in a virtual space.