Rinspeed Snap, Self driving Cars - Unravel Travel TV

Self-driving cars, stuffed full of short-lived IT components, will help solve the transport problems in urban areas in the foreseeable future - and not just there. To this end, Swiss powerhouse of ideas Rinspeed has designed an elaborate and unparalleled mobility ecosystem in its latest concept car, the "Snap." Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht makes the hardware and software, which is bound to be outdated quickly, part of the high-wear chassis ("skateboard") - and separates it from the durable passenger safety cell ("pod"). From now on, they both will go their separate ways - whereby the pod can even be useful when stationary: it can be anything from a variable shopping pod or a spacious camping pod to a cozy cuddling pod and even provide a breathtaking, fully connected user experience for the occupants of the passenger cabin. The sky is here the limit for the possible applications.

The Swiss mobility visionary uses an ingenious trick to disentangle the different lifecycles of various automotive components: The skateboard carries the durable mechanical and the fast-aging IT components. They are recycled after a few years of intensive use once they have reached the end of their design life, while the much less stressed pod is able to remain in service for much longer, before it also must be sent to recycling. This benefits the environment, because it plays a significant role in conserving natural resources.

Almost as an aside, the innovative Swiss solve a problem that many know from the navigation systems in their own vehicles: they no longer find the way, because software and map data are outdated. What is merely annoying here can quickly become a safety issue in self-driving cars in the near future.

No question, when it comes to the Snap, the name really says it all, because everything fits together perfectly and can be snapped together. In keeping with a tried and proven tradition, the twenty-fourth concept car from Rinspeed was again designed at Swiss company 4erC and technically executed at Esoro. An extensive study of the Snap ecosystem conducted by EY shows its (virtually) unlimited possibilities. The electric vehicle - as always when Rinderknecht is at work - is chock-full of technical and visual finesse, contributed by a reputable network of global companies. The two steering axles along with the integrated electric power train come from ZF. They allow the Snap to turn practically on a dime and produce no emissions in urban traffic. The Snap runs on weight-optimized and stylish 7x18 Borbet alloy wheels shod with tires of size 205/40-18, which are optimized to minimize fuel consumption. By the way, all adhesive bonds in and on the Snap are realized with innovative adhesives from Sika Automotive.

Optionally, there is even a 'personal assistant' in the form of an autonomous, intelligent robot to accompany the occupants. It will also be happy to help with running errands, carrying purchases, or handle other tedious tasks.

The city runabout is brimming with sensors. For example, US company Gentex is contributing the Iris scanner for occupant detection and dimmable front and rear glass elements, which can also be found on the Boeing Dreamliner. The sophisticated Lidar sensors from Ibeo in Hamburg ensure that obstacles on the road are detected by means of real-time measurement of the light reflections. The Harman Autonomous Drive Platform that is part of the skateboard makes safely moving through city traffic possible. It uses the NXP BlueBox, a sensor fusion solution. In turn, the Smart Antenna, jointly developed by NXP and Harman, ensures safe communication to the world outside as well as a high-speed connection to the Harman Ignite Cloud Platform. With 5G, Car2X, radio tuner, BT, and WiFi, it covers the entire spectrum of wireless networking possibilities. Sprint, a leading US telecommunications company, is committed to ensuring stable networks. Moreover, with highly-sensitive pod recognition and its customized Smart Access solution, the chip giant NXP offers a broad range of technologies that show promise for the future. Europe's leading business software company SAP contributes by enabling the digitized ecosystem through innovative technologies and software solutions in the areas of smart cities, connected health, connected mobility, and transportation. And TomTom provides HD maps for autonomous driving and navigation technologies that enable predictive driving for passengers' comfort. Finally, the Israeli start-up Valens's HDBaseT Automotive connectivity technology connection is responsible for the fast and secure transmission of even ultra-high-definition, high-resolution multimedia signals between the numerous vehicle components