*In this difficult time, azureazure is here for you. We are committed to helping both our readers and the industries that have been most impacted by the pandemic. Until the crisis is over, we will be publishing relevant content alongside our regular stories, which we hope offer you a few moments of escape. We would like to hear from you. Email us at azure@azureazure.com*
In the Volvo 360c, the passenger can sleep in a bed, work in an office or hold meetings in a relaxed atmosphere. It is not just another futuristic car; the Volvo 360c is a new way of traveling and using our time. The new autonomous car concept is also a new business model for Volvo that proposes to improve the user experience.
“The 360c explores the possibilities that open up by eliminating the human driver, enabling new freedoms in the design and redefining the transfer time. The prototype allows us to see how the autonomous driving technology will change the world as we know it, amazing,” says Mårten Levenstam, vice president of corporate strategy for Volvo.
Rear view of Volvo 360c.
Without a command post, steering wheel or accelerator, the 360c offers a functional cabin with different options and possibilities for its passengers. Those who want to travel short distances and avoid delays at the airport can travel in 100% reclining first class seats with premium amenities such as interactive screens, folding tables and a refrigerator.
Interior view of Volvo 360c 8.
However, if the passenger needs to work during his or her trip, the car will offer state-of-the-art connectivity and office equipment. These services will transform every minute of time spent in the car into productive time. Also, in case you want to relax while traveling as a family or enjoy a delicious meal with friends, the Volvo 30c offers the choice of having a meeting room or lounge.
But how can a single car include all of these possibilities? Actually, what’s different are the configurations for a single vehicle. The business concept of Volvo proposes a transfer service similar to Uber in that the user will ask for his 360c using an interactive application and will select the amenities that he or she wants.
Side view of Volvo 360c.
The growing trend of joint ownership and adherence to shared transport services raises the need for transformation in companies such as Volvo, which go from being mere car manufacturers to potential providers of mass transport services. In this case, the Swedish company bets on avant-garde services, paid for in 100% autonomous, electric, connected and safe vehicles.
These advantages can be taken advantage of not only by users, but also by conventional transport companies. For example, airlines such as Lufthansa or companies like Uber could use it to make luxury land connections.
But for this to become a reality, it is necessary to develop a more advanced and efficient standardized autonomous driving system. Volvo proposes a series of communicative signals of sound and light through which the vehicle will interact with the environment, cars, motorcycles and bicycles, and with passers-by. For example, a single sound can indicate different scenarios that the car will automatically anticipate, while other sounds will warn a distracted pedestrian approaching the vehicle. Meanwhile, different lights anticipate and announce maneuvers to cars and pedestrians.
Example of Volvo 360c’s use of communicative signals.
The development of autonomous driving will definitively change the reality of transportation in the near future. The customization, exclusivity and luxury amenities will improve significantly thanks to the avant-garde car features available to the 360c. ■
