An Organic Future: The Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR

This wild concept, inspired by the film Avatar and shaped by the world of Pandora, debuts at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.

James Cameron’s 2009 masterpiece Avatar depicts a lush, bioluminescent world being overrun by destructive humans. In many ways today, this is a current issue with situations resembling this ongoing event occurring around the Earth. With the Avatar sequel coming out next year, the Vision AVTR gets us ready to dive back into the stunning world of Pandora.

The AVTR abbreviation actually stands for “Advanced Vehicle Transformation”, and the car advances nearly every current automotive component. Many of the designs on the car take inspiration from various creatures from Avatar, and aims to present interaction between the driver, machine and nature.

The overall curvatures of the concept are part of the ‘One Bow’ design, and use creative language deprived from organic inspiration. There is no steering wheel, Mercedes-Benz opted to use a sort of multifunctional control element on the center console. By placing a hand on the element, the interior of the car will illuminate by recognizing the driver’s individual heartbeat and breathing. The intuitive menu is projected onto the hand of the passenger via 3D graphics. A curved display module envelops the driver, connecting them with the outside world.

One of the most notable components of this car is a battery cell complete with compostable materials. The battery uses graphene-based organic cell chemistry that is free of any rare earths and metals. The Vision AVTR prides itself on utilizing this technology rather than fossil fuels.

The noticeable “flaps” on the back of the car are said to resemble reptilian scales, though their purpose is a bit shrouded. Mercedes-Benz says that ‘they can communicate with the driver and through the driver with their outside world through naturally flowing movements in subtle gestures.’ Maybe the 33 ‘scales’ can all raise up in bright red to intimidate the tailgater riding your bumper? Who knows.

The car can also ‘crab walk’, thanks to the possibility to drive the front and rear axles in the same or opposite directions. The Vision AVTR can move sideways by approximately 30% in contrast to conventional vehicles. The interior contains sustainable materials such as a vegan leather called DINAMICA® and an innovative wood called Karuun®.

Overall, the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR is such a wild concept, it’s hard to really understand the purpose of the car. However, it does present some truly freaky design ideas that could possibly be implemented in the future. Could cars that market ‘immersive driving experiences’ and ‘connecting the driver to the outside world’ actually disconnect us from our surroundings?