Rinspeed's latest CES concept is a wacky R2 droid with wheels
No, seriously, Rinspeed considers it a "trendy buddy" to R2D2.
Earlier this year, Swiss firm Rinspeed brought a heavily modified, drone-toting BMW i8 to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Its concept for next year eschews any connection to current vehicles in favor of some proper pie-in-the-sky thinking.
The Rinspeed Oasis concept will debut at CES this coming January. This one is all about envisioning the future of transportation for the masses, with a vehicle that is spacious and loaded up with all manner of next-gen technology. The exterior reflects that maximization of interior space, since it's about as squarish as a vehicle can get.
The interior is more like a living room than a car, loaded up with armchairs, televisions and a windshield that dabbles in both augmented and virtual realities. A "drawer" in the rear can be opened with a code, and it can be heated or cooled for various reasons. There is also some literal "oasis" space beneath the windshield -- a dab of green space allows users to grow actual flowers inside the car.
This isn't a vehicle meant for a person to buy. Rather, it's intended to exist within a sharing economy. Rinspeed believes the Oasis could be used for deliveries, commuting, shopping and even pizza delivery, all in the same day.
Sharing economy? Flowers? Sounds pretty hippy-dippy, but that's where Rinspeed sees the future of transportation heading. We'll get to see this funky box in person at CES in January. In the meantime, check out the video below to see some of Rinspeed's earlier concepts, which are no less out-there than its current ones.