A Swiss company called Rinspeed has launched its vision for the future of hybrid auto industry with the unveiling of interesting sports car concept, Etos (stylized as Σtos). It is touted as a disruptive technology not just because the vehicle has autonomous capability, but because it also comes with a drone helper.
The Etos car, which will be unveiled at the CES Consumer Electronic show in January, has an autopilot system that is intelligent enough to learn about its surroundings and to adjust according to changes in the environment, Digital Trends reported.
A cool functionality that might be absent in other self-driving cars is the ability of the steering wheel to retract when the vehicle is in auto mode. In addition, it also sports high-technology features, such as augmented navigation and gesture controls.
The body of the Etos car has strange landing pad located at the rear deck lid. This is where the drone would be perched. The drone itself is capable of fetching and receiving things - for instance, the owner can direct the drone to pick-up a bouquet of flowers and deliver it to a recipient, according to Mashable. The drone is also equipped with a camera that can live stream video feed, which can prove handy in spotting traffic jams, noted Slash Gear.
The Etos, however, is a vaporware. What this means is that it is an announced product that will not be manufactured, noted Mashable.
"But as with any autonomous mobile technology, there are a number of problems to anticipate and solve before possible becomes practical. The anticipation is the important part, the unknown unknowns, etc.," Rinspeed said in a Slash Gear report.
