Self driving cars are all set to change the way we travel, and drastically alter car cabins. While all of that is great, the question that often remains is how much of a change would this really be. As with all the concept in-car cabins that we have seen, Audi's latest Long Distance Lounge Concept stick to being a living room that maximises modularity and versatility inside a car. Alongside the hardwood floor, it gets infinitely movable seats, a power recliner that converts into a bed, and much more.
All the seats inside are infinitely moveable, and are held to the floor with powerful magnets that ensure there are no accidental movements due to road irregularities. The cabin includes a refrigerator on the cabin walls to store food, and there is also a power recliner that converts into a full bed for you to catch a quick nap.
An augmented reality engine powers the windows, to make the windows double up as AR display panels. You can get to see outside your cabin and see information overlaid on the windows about what's outside. The screens will also show more information, depending on your actions.
There is a smart tablet on board, the make of which has not been disclosed. It connects with smartphones to mirror content, and simultaneously relay them on the large displays to show entertainment and information as per your need. You can catch up on the latest news, emails and messages while on the way to work, and tune in to a movie as you lie down on the bed on your way back home.
The exterior cameras, that are used by the car to drive itself, will also relay exterior imagery on to the window displays to give you a continuous feed of what's outside. The car's autonomous sensors will allow it to always face you when it picks you up. Audi relegates the requirement to have more than one door in the car, thereby freeing up chassis space to be used for other requirements (like interior furnishing, housing wiring and processors, and the likes).
The hardwood floor of the car that also houses magnets to hold the seats in place also has integrated high frequency vibration generators and built-in vacuum system to dislodge dirt and dust from inside and suck them up, hence autonomously taking care of cleaning needs.
Running blue LEDs inside contribute to ambient lighting as well as user control demarcation. The section in which the LEDs glow will state who has control of the in-cabin features like what's on display, music, etc., and control can be switched to another user by simply swiping along the LEDs housed in the cabin's aluminium trim.
Focusing on environmental concerns, the seats inside are made out of sustainable fabric, developed using recycled plastic bottles. There is also no additional gate to access the boot, and the storage space is integrated inside the cabin that allows all-time access to your bags.