Volkswagen Gen.Urban drives all by itself in Wolfsburg
Volkswagen Group Innovation
A team from Volkswagen Group Innovation – consisting of designers, human factors specialists, software developers and materials engineers – is gathering extensive data on user behavior and interaction with the Gen.Urban. These insights are being used in the development of future interior and user experience (UX) concepts for the various brands within the Group.
Central questions include: how do people spend their time in a self-driving vehicle? Which digital functions best support work, leisure or entertainment? How should the interaction between vehicle and passengers be designed, especially for the elderly and children? In short, do people feel comfortable?
Personal settings before departure
Even before departure, passengers can set their preferences, via an app or directly in the vehicle. This ranges from interior temperature to ambient lighting. Upon boarding, the Gen.Urban greets the passenger and automatically adjusts the seat to the desired position. In addition, the digital interior can be tailored to individual preferences using artificial intelligence. The wide front display, with information, light and sound, adapts to a chosen theme.
Without traditional steering wheel or pedals
The Gen.Urban is designed without a traditional steering wheel or pedals. The test subject sits in the driver’s seat, while a trained safety driver monitors the vehicle from the passenger seat. If necessary, he or she can intervene at any time via a specially developed joystick control panel. The current test phase will initially be conducted with Volkswagen Group employees and will last several weeks.
Building trust
Dr. Nikolai Ardey, Head of Volkswagen Group Innovation, explains, “Technology for autonomous driving is developing rapidly. With the research vehicle Gen.Urban, we want to understand exactly how passengers experience autonomous driving. This is important to build trust, through clear interaction, a calm environment and support systems that respond to the needs of occupants. Technology should connect with people, not the other way around. These insights will eventually be useful for the entire Group.”
Test route through Wolfsburg with recognizable traffic situations
The test route starts at the visitor parking lot at the headquarters. From there, a route of almost ten kilometers runs through the Wolfsburg city area, past the Sandkamp factory gate, Saar and Lessingstraße, Brandenburger Platz, Breslauer Straße, Grauhorststraße and back to the starting point via Heinrich-Nordhoff-Straße, among others. Traffic lights, traffic circles, road works, residential areas, industrial zones and possibly heavy traffic are part of the route. This was chosen to match typical challenges of urban traffic. Each test drive takes about 20 minutes.