PREVIEW: Volkswagen I.D. Buzz

CES 2018, Las Vegas: A campervan with an  ‘AI co-pilot’ that that sees you coming, unlocks the doors, understands your voice, and tracks your gaze

OK, so this one isn’t coming anytime soon, but at the CES this year was a preview of Volkswagen I.D. Buzz, which will to Use NVIDIA DRIVE IX tech for some intriguing ‘AI co-pilot’ features.

Apps expected to be developed on the NVIDIA DRIVE IX platform include facial recognition for automatically unlocking and opening the vehicle, surround perception to alert the driver to potential hazards, gesture recognition for user controls, natural language understanding for flawless voice control, and gaze-tracking for driver distraction alerts.

“Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the car,” said Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “Autonomous driving, zero-emission mobility and digital networking are virtually impossible without advances in AI and deep learning. Combining the imagination of Volkswagen with NVIDIA, the leader in AI technology, enables us to take a big step into the future.”

“In just a few years, every new vehicle will be expected to have AI assistants for voice, gesture and facial recognition as well as augmented reality,” said NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang. “Volkswagen’s work with NVIDIA DRIVE IX technology will make that a reality. Together, we are building a new generation of cars that are safer, more enjoyable to ride in than anything that has come before, and accessible to everyone.”

The I.D. Buzz is part of the I.D. family1 with which Volkswagen will launch its electric car campaign and gradually introduce autonomous driving starting in 2020. More than 20 fully electric vehicle models are planned by 2025, as the automaker works toward its goal of becoming the world leader in this area.