Rinspeed Budii: A Friend That Drives Itself
Rinspeed has been rolling out eccentric concepts for quite a while now. From its amphibious Lotus to a stretchable Mercedes-Benz to an autonomous Tesla to the Splash (a roadster that could transform into a hydrofoil), each one of its creations is crazier than the last one.
In preparation for the Geneva International Motor Show, Rinspeed unveiled Budii, which incorporates a few ideas about the future of autonomous driving. Based on the BMW i3, the vehicle is heavily modified. Budii is fully controllable via your smartphone (or smartwatch!); you can not only start up the range-extending engine, start and stop the charging process or adjust the vehicle's internal temperature, you can also ask the car to come and pick you up right at the door of your apartment. It can also follow you closely, like a faithful dog.
Budii can ‘’see’’ around itself with the help of its roof-mounted cameras and radar. If you want to drive yourself, there is a steering wheel in the vehicle. In case you get bored of driving, you can literally pass the steering wheel to your passenger; the wheel is mounted on an articulated arm. The cockpit is also all-new; with a control system built by Haman, both passengers can control a wide array of functions. And just to keep the concept in line with their other creations, Rinspeed added an M&M dispenser between the front seats.
We will see the Rinspeed Budii in the flesh for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show, which starts next month.
