Mercedes-Benz has cooked up this skeletal-looking futuristic machine for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and it's called the Vision AVTR. And yes, fill in a few missing letters and you've got Avatar - this car was inspired by James Cameron's world of Pandora from the 2009 CGI-heavy epic.
No unobtanium required
The Vision AVTR not only references the sci-fi box office juggernaut, but stands for Advanced Vehicle TRansformation. It's supposed to show the vision of Mercedes-Benz designers, engineers and trend researchers for mobility in the distant future, and the reference to Pandora (home of the Na'vi people in the film) is because the Vision AVTR 'shows a completely new interaction between human, machine and nature'. Apparently.
The exterior is almost 'inside-out' and its stretched one-bow design references several of the creatures seen on Pandora in the Avatar movie. Biometric connections mean that, instead of a steering wheel, the multifunctional control element in the centre console allows a human and machine to physically merge: how's that for a human-machine interface with a difference, eh? Anyway, by placing your hand on the control unit, the interior comes to life and the car recognises the driver by his or her heartbeat and breathing pattern.
Lifting your hand away, a menu selection for the car's features is then project onto the palm of the occupant's hand. You can even use the Mercedes Vision AVTR to explore the fictional world of Pandora from different perspectives, with a curved display module creating a visual connection between passengers and the outside world.
Like any self-respecting future-gazing concept, the AVTR is an electric vehicle but it has organic battery technology made from recyclable materials, with the graphene-based organic cell chemistry free of rare earths and metals (and, presumably, any unobtanium as well). At the back of the car are 33 bionic flaps, which mimic the scales of reptiles and allow communication both with the driver and the outside world, through the medium of 'flowing movements in subtle gestures'. As both the front and rear axles can drive in the same or opposite direction, the Vision AVTR even has the ability to 'crab' sideways at an angle of up to 30 degrees, which is funky. And, of course, the whole car features sustainable materials, such as vegan-approved Dinamica man-made leather for the seats and Karuun (rattan) wood for the floor.
Car and film tie-up
Ola Källenius, chairman of Mercedes-Benz AG, said: "They have created one of the most fascinating and successful Hollywood movies of all time. It is my great pleasure to announce the global partnership between Mercedes-Benz and the Avatar films. I would like to present the first result of this partnership: the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR - which translates to 'Advanced Vehicle Transformation'.
"A visionary car that points far into the future. And a show car that is truly inspired by the fascinating world of AVATAR. The result highlights completely new ways of intuitively connecting humans and machines - without wooden sticks, plastic knobs or a steering wheel. The Vision AVTR also showcases new ways of moving people through the environment - sideways, like a crab, for instance. It takes sustainability to new levels through a fully recyclable battery, which is based on an organic cell chemistry and doesn't need materials like nickel or cobalt.
"The Vision AVTR is a show car and show cars are here to spark our imagination of what's possible, just like good science-fiction movies do. Imagine a car that delivers a completely new experience which combines an inside-out design philosophy - with an outside-in approach to connecting passengers and environment. This car showcases new ideas of communicating - for instance by using its bionic flaps."